CompletedNCT07884162ClinicalTrials.gov record

Plyometric vs. Intrinsic Foot Muscle Training in Pediatric Flatfoot

Flatfoot, Flexible

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THE QUICK READ

What this study involves

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Study type: Interventional
Phase: Not applicable
Age range: 9 years - 12 years
Sex eligible: Male
Healthy volunteers: Not accepted
Participants: 36 Actual

These are starting points, not an eligibility decision. The research team must review the full requirements.

About the research

The purpose of this study is to investigate how the order of exercises in a training program affects foot mechanics and physical performance in children with flexible flatfoot. Flexible flatfoot is common in children and can affect how weight is distributed on the foot, balance, and athletic abilities. While both foot-strengthening exercises and jump training (plyometrics) are helpful, it is not known which one should be done first to get the best results.

In this study, thirty-six young male football players with flexible flatfoot were divided into three groups. The first group performed jump training followed by foot muscle strengthening. The second group did the foot muscle strengthening first, followed by jump training. The third group served as a control group and did not change their usual training. The researchers measured changes in foot pressure, balance, jumping height, muscle force, and sprint speed before and after the training to find out which exercise order is most effective for improving athletic performance and foot loading.

Read the full description

This study evaluates the impact of exercise sequencing within a combined training program for young athletes with flexible flatfoot. Participants are block-randomized into three distinct parallel arms to compare different training structures over the intervention period:

Group P1-R2: Participants undergo plyometric training in the first phase, followed by intrinsic foot muscle (IFM) strengthening in the second phase.
Group R1-P2: Participants undergo intrinsic foot muscle (IFM) strengthening in the first phase, followed by plyometric training in the second phase.
Control Group (CG): Participants maintain their habitual football training schedule without any additional specific foot or plyometric interventions.

All participants undergo a comprehensive testing battery at baseline (pre-intervention) and immediately following the completion of the training protocol (post-intervention). The assessments include static and dynamic baropodometric analyses to measure peak plantar pressure, postural tracking to evaluate balance, countermovement jump (CMJ) tests for neuromuscular mechanics, eccentric rate of force development (RFD) evaluations, and 20-meter timed sprints to quantify locomotor performance.

Who may be able to participate?

The list below is the sponsor’s full registry wording. It can include conditions, prior treatment, test results and other requirements. A match in search does not mean you qualify.

Inclusion Criteria:

Participants were required to be actively practising youth football players aged between 9 and 12 years with a clinically and podographically confirmed diagnosis of bilateral flexible flatfoot according to the study's predefined diagnostic criteria.

Exclusion Criteria:

Participants were excluded if they presented any history of lower limb orthopaedic surgery, a musculoskeletal injury within the preceding six months, or a diagnosed neurological disorder.

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Treatment, groups and participation

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Assignment: Random assignment
Masking: Single masked

Group P1-R2

Pediatric football players with flexible flatfoot who undergo a combined training program consisting of 4 weeks of plyometric training (Phase 1) followed by 4 weeks of intrinsic foot muscle strengthening (Phase 2), performed 3 times per week for a total of 8 weeks.

Behavioral: Plyometric Training

Group R1-P2

A separate group of pediatric football players with flexible flatfoot who undergo the inverse sequence: 4 weeks of intrinsic foot muscle strengthening (Phase 1) followed by 4 weeks of plyometric training (Phase 2), performed 3 times per week for a total of 8 weeks.

Behavioral: Plyometric Training

Control Group

A third separate group of pediatric football players with flexible flatfoot who maintain their habitual football training schedule without participating in any specific plyometric or foot muscle strengthening protocols during the 8-week study period.

Plyometric Training BEHAVIORAL

Jump and plyometric exercises performed 3 times per week for a total duration of 4 weeks. This intervention is implemented during Phase 1 for Group P1-R2 and during Phase 2 for Group R1-P2.

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