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Groin InjuriesNCT07314671

Isometric vs Dynamic Copenhagen Adduction Exercise in Football Players

A study testing Exercise in people with Groin Injuries, run by University of West Attica at 1 site in Greece.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

Hip adductor strength training is important for groin injuries rehabilitation and prevention. A widely used exercise is the Copenhagen Adduction (CA) exercise. The current study will include young football players (12-16 yrs) individually randomised into two CA groups (isometric, dynamic) training 2 times per week for… Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 12 to 16 years, men onlyHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Groin Injuries
What is being tested?
Exercise
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
42 participants
Where
1 siteGreece
Study dates
10 Jan 2025to 1 May 2025
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 12 to 16 years
  • Men only
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Child

Who may be able to join

  • Healthy male soccer players between 12 and 16 years old systematically (≥4 times per week) participating in training and games

Who cannot join

  • musculoskeletal injury and/or neurological disorder that would affect strength and/or athletic performance testing, and/or exercise execution.
  • adductor muscle injury within 6 months before study initiation.
  • groin pain greater than 2/10 on a Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) during strength and/or athletic performance testing, and/or during exercise execution.
  • any systematic strength training of the adductor muscles during the last month prior to study initiation.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

Greece1 site

  • University of West Attica

    Athens, Greece, 12243

Other trials in Greece

About this study

Official title: Effects of a Dynamic Versus an Isometric Copenhagen Adduction Exercise on Muscle Strength and Athletic Performance in Youth Football: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Hip adductor strength training is important for groin injuries rehabilitation and prevention. A widely used exercise is the Copenhagen Adduction (CA) exercise. The current study will include young football players (12-16 yrs) individually randomised into two CA groups (isometric, dynamic) training 2 times per week for 6 weeks. Both groups will use 2 sets per side and a range of 6-12 repetitions. Maximal eccentric (EHAD) and isometric (IHAD) hip adduction torque, jump and sprint capacity, delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), and perceived exertion will be recorded. A minimum of 42 participants will be required.

Read the detailed description

Introduction: Groin injuries are one of the most common injuries in sports such as basketball, hockey and handball. They account for 4-19% of all injuries in Association football (soccer), with movements such as shooting or passing, changes of direction, and jumping being the most common injury mechanisms. Previous groin injury and low hip adductor strength have been shown to be risk factors for groin injuries. Exercise has shown a positive effect on adductor muscle strength, groin pain rehabilitation, and prevention. An exercise widely used in adductor strength training and groin pain rehabilitation is the Copenhagen Adduction (CA) exercise. Another exercise used in groin pain rehabilitation and adductor strength training is the adductor squeeze exercise. Although there are investigations comparing the strength effects of the CA with these of other dynamic exercises, and isometric exercises, there is only one study that included the CA using isometric contraction during a progressive training protocol for the hip adductor muscles, and no studies comparing two contraction types of the CA. Although muscle strengthening is an important component in football training, sprint and jump training also plays an important role in athletes' performance. There is only one study which evaluated the effects of the CA and Nordic Hamstring exercise on athletic performance.

Aim: To compare the effects of a dynamic and an isometric CA on adductor muscle strength and athletic performance (sprint, jump) in male football (soccer) players.

Methods: Young football players (12-16 yrs) will be included in the study. They will be individually randomised into two CA groups (isometric, dynamic) and will train 2 times per week for six weeks using 2 sets per side and a range of 6-12 repetitions maintaining the same repetition number and time under tension. The strength and athletic performance testing will be performed by a physiotherapist and an exercise therapist, respectively. They will not participate in the intervention supervision and will be unaware of the group allocation. The physiotherapist and the exercise therapist who will supervise the intervention, as well as the participants, will not be aware of the testing results until the completion of the study.

Conditions
Groin Injuries
Being tested
Exercise
Keywords
Groin, exercise training, Copenhagen Adduction, football

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • ExerciseOther

    Both groups (DCA, ICA) will perform 2 weekly sessions, 2 sets per side, 6-12 repetitions

Study groups in NCT07314671
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Dynamic Copenhagen Adduction (DCA)ExperimentalNot described
Receives: Other: Exercise
Isometric Copenhagen Adduction (ICA)ExperimentalNot described
Receives: Other: Exercise

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Eccentric hip adductor torque

    Maximal eccentric (EHAD) hip adduction torque. Players' strength will be measured in Newtons, leg length in centimeters, and weight in kilograms. These measures will be combined for eccentric torque (Nm/kg) to be recorded and analysed.

    Measured: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 6 weeks

  2. Isometric hip adduction torque

    Maximal isometric (IHAD) hip adduction torque. Players' strength will be measured in Newtons, leg length in centimeters, and weight in kilograms. These measures will be combined for isometric torque (Nm/kg) to be recorded and analysed.

    Measured: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 6 weeks

Secondary outcomes (4)

  1. Jump performance

    Jump (squat jump, countermovement jump, countermovement jump with arm swing) capacity will be measured in centimetres.

    Measured: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 6 weeks

  2. Sprint capacity

    Sprint (5 meters, 10 meters, 20 meters) capacity will be measured in seconds.

    Measured: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 6 weeks

  3. Delayed onset muscle soreness

    Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) will be recorded with the use of a numeric rating scale 0-10.

    Measured: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 6 weeks

  4. Perceived exertion

    Perceived exertion will be recorded with the use of a numeric rating scale 0-10.

    Measured: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 6 weeks

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted2 Jan 2026
  2. Study start10 Jan 2025
  3. Primary completion15 Apr 2025
  4. Study completion1 May 2025

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Other
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Model description
The participants will be assigned to either a dynamic (DCA) or an isometric (ICA) Copenhagen Adduction exercise group and perform a progressive exercise protocol for 6 weeks during at the club's training facilities.
Masking
Double blind
Who is masked
Participant, Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
42 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT07314671
Sponsor's protocol ID
60372/01-07-2025
Status last verified
May 2026
First submitted
19 Nov 2025
Last updated
19 May 2026
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
Yes: The data that support the findings of this study will be available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request

Publications

  • Polglass G, Burrows A, Willett M. Impact of a modified progressive Copenhagen adduction exercise programme on hip adduction strength and postexercise muscle soreness in professional footballers. BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med. 2019 Oct 15;5(1):e000570. doi: 10.1136/bmjsem-2019-000570. eCollection 2019.

    PubMed 31673404

  • Serner A, Jakobsen MD, Andersen LL, Holmich P, Sundstrup E, Thorborg K. EMG evaluation of hip adduction exercises for soccer players: implications for exercise selection in prevention and treatment of groin injuries. Br J Sports Med. 2014 Jul;48(14):1108-14. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2012-091746. Epub 2013 Mar 19.

    PubMed 23511698

  • Pippas C, Gioftsos G, Korakakis V, Serner A. Strength effects of the Copenhagen adduction exercise vs an adductor squeeze exercise in male football players - A randomized controlled trial. Sci Med Footb. 2025 Nov;9(4):382-391. doi: 10.1080/24733938.2024.2419659. Epub 2024 Oct 24.

    PubMed 39444266

  • Haroy J, Thorborg K, Serner A, Bjorkheim A, Rolstad LE, Holmich P, Bahr R, Andersen TE. Including the Copenhagen Adduction Exercise in the FIFA 11+ Provides Missing Eccentric Hip Adduction Strength Effect in Male Soccer Players: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Am J Sports Med. 2017 Nov;45(13):3052-3059. doi: 10.1177/0363546517720194. Epub 2017 Aug 14.

    PubMed 28806100

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Exercise in people with Groin Injuries, run by University of West Attica at 1 site in Greece.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 4 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 19 May 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in Greece. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Eccentric hip adductor torque (time frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 6 weeks). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT07314671, which also lists 4 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 19 May 2026.

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