Athletic PerformanceNORM-ACCDECNCT07451041
Absolute vs Normalized Acceleration and Deceleration Load in Football Microcycles
An observational study of Athletic Performance and Soccer, run by University of Maia at 1 site in Portugal.
Trial summary
This observational repeated-measures study investigates differences between absolute and individualized normalized acceleration and deceleration thresholds across the football microcycle. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 25 years, men onlyHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Athletic Performance, Soccer, Training Load Monitoring
- What is being tested?
- External Load Monitoring
- How many people
- 27 participants
- Where
- 1 sitePortugal
- Study dates
- 1 Jul 2024to 31 Jul 2025
- Phase
- Observational
- 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 18 to 25 years
- Men only
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Study population: Male under-23 outfield football players from a Portuguese national-level team monitored across one competitive season using GPS technology during routine training sessions and official matches.
Who may be able to join
- Male under-23 outfield football players competing at national level and participating in regular training sessions and official matches with valid GPS data.
Who cannot join
- Goalkeepers, players with long-term injury preventing participation, or sessions with missing or invalid GPS data.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: Comparison of Absolute and Individualized Normalized Acceleration and Deceleration Thresholds Across the Football Microcycle
This observational repeated-measures study investigates differences between absolute and individualized normalized acceleration and deceleration thresholds across the football microcycle. Match-derived locomotor metrics are commonly used to guide training prescription, although match performance may not reflect each player's maximal physical capacity. Therefore, this study monitored under-23 male football players across a full competitive season using 10-Hz GPS technology during training sessions and matches. High-intensity normalized thresholds were defined as 75-100% of individual maximum acceleration and deceleration, and were compared with conventional absolute thresholds (>3 m/s² and <-3 m/s²). The study aims to determine whether normalized approaches provide a more accurate representation of high-intensity locomotor demands across microcycle sessions relative to match load.
Read the detailed description
This season-long observational cohort study examined the distribution of acceleration and deceleration external load across the football microcycle using both absolute and individualized normalized thresholds. Twenty-seven under-23 male football players competing at the national level were monitored throughout one competitive season using 10-Hz GPS devices during all training sessions and official matches.
Individual maximum acceleration and deceleration were determined using the average of the three highest values recorded across the season while excluding potential measurement artefacts. High-intensity normalized thresholds were defined as 75-100% of these individual maxima and compared with conventional absolute thresholds (>3 m/s² and <-3 m/s²). Outcome measures included counts and distances of acceleration and deceleration efforts across microcycle days relative to match load, adjusted for playing position.
Generalized linear mixed models were used to evaluate differences between threshold definitions and temporal patterns across the microcycle. The primary objective was to determine whether normalized thresholds provide a more sensitive and ecologically valid characterization of high-intensity locomotor demands compared with fixed absolute thresholds, with implications for training load monitoring and prescription in football.
- Conditions
- Athletic Performance, Soccer, Training Load Monitoring
- Being tested
- External Load Monitoring
- Keywords
- Soccer, External Load, GPS Monitoring, Acceleration, Deceleration, Microcycle, Normalization, Sports Science
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
External Load MonitoringOther
Observational monitoring of locomotor demands using GPS technology during routine training sessions and matches. No experimental intervention was applied.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| U23 Football Players | Male under-23 football players competing at national level monitored across one competitive season using GPS technology during training sessions and matches. Receives: Other: External Load Monitoring |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Counts of High-Intensity Accelerations and Decelerations (Absolute vs Normalized Thresholds)
Number of acceleration and deceleration efforts performed at high intensity using absolute thresholds (>3 m/s² and <-3 m/s²) and individualized normalized thresholds (75-100% of individual maximum) across microcycle sessions relative to match load.
Measured: Across one competitive season (approximately 10 months)
Secondary outcomes (2)
Distance Covered in High-Intensity Accelerations and Decelerations
Distance covered during high-intensity acceleration and deceleration efforts using absolute and normalized thresholds across microcycle sessions relative to match load.
Measured: Across one competitive season (approximately 10 months)
Training-to-Match Load Ratios
Ratios comparing locomotor acceleration and deceleration demands between training sessions and matches across the microcycle.
Measured: Across one competitive season (approximately 10 months)
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted5 Mar 2026
- Study start1 Jul 2024
- Primary completion31 Jul 2025
- Study completion31 Jul 2025
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Athletic PerformanceStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Observational
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Enrolment
- 27 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Maia
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Ricardo Pimenta, University of Maia
- Investigators
- Ricado Lemos Pimenta, PhD, Principal investigator, University of Maia
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07451041
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- ACCDEC-NORM-U23-2024
- Acronym
- NORM-ACCDEC
- Status last verified
- Feb 2026
- First submitted
- 27 Feb 2026
- Last updated
- 5 Mar 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No: Individual participant data will not be publicly shared due to privacy considerations and institutional agreements with the participating football club. Aggregated data may be available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 5 Mar 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Comparison of Absolute and Individualized Normalized Acceleration and Deceleration Thresholds Across the Football Microcycle
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07451041
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- NORM-ACCDEC / ACCDEC-NORM-U23-2024
- Conditions
- Athletic Performance, Soccer, Training Load Monitoring
- Keywords
- Soccer, External Load, GPS Monitoring, Acceleration, Deceleration, Microcycle, Normalization, Sports Science
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 27 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- University of MaiaUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 Jul 2024 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 31 Jul 2025 (actual)
- Study completion
- 31 Jul 2025 (actual)
- First posted
- 5 Mar 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This observational repeated-measures study investigates differences between absolute and individualized normalized acceleration and deceleration thresholds across the football microcycle. Match-derived locomotor metrics are commonly used to guide training prescription, although match performance may not reflect each player's maximal physical capacity. Therefore, this study monitored under-23 male football players across a full competitive season using 10-Hz GPS technology during training sessions and matches. High-intensity normalized thresholds were defined as 75-100% of individual maximum acceleration and deceleration, and were compared with conventional absolute thresholds (>3 m/s² and <-3 m/s²). The study aims to determine whether normalized approaches provide a more accurate representation of high-intensity locomotor demands across microcycle sessions relative to match load.
Detailed description
This season-long observational cohort study examined the distribution of acceleration and deceleration external load across the football microcycle using both absolute and individualized normalized thresholds. Twenty-seven under-23 male football players competing at the national level were monitored throughout one competitive season using 10-Hz GPS devices during all training sessions and official matches.
Individual maximum acceleration and deceleration were determined using the average of the three highest values recorded across the season while excluding potential measurement artefacts. High-intensity normalized thresholds were defined as 75-100% of these individual maxima and compared with conventional absolute thresholds (>3 m/s² and <-3 m/s²). Outcome measures included counts and distances of acceleration and deceleration efforts across microcycle days relative to match load, adjusted for playing position.
Generalized linear mixed models were used to evaluate differences between threshold definitions and temporal patterns across the microcycle. The primary objective was to determine whether normalized thresholds provide a more sensitive and ecologically valid characterization of high-intensity locomotor demands compared with fixed absolute thresholds, with implications for training load monitoring and prescription in football.
Study design
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Number of arms
- 1
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| U23 Football Players | – | Other: External Load MonitoringMale under-23 football players competing at national level monitored across one competitive season using GPS technology during training sessions and matches. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 25 years
- Sex
- Male only
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
- Study population
- Male under-23 outfield football players from a Portuguese national-level team monitored across one competitive season using GPS technology during routine training sessions and official matches.
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Male under-23 outfield football players competing at national level and participating in regular training sessions and official matches with valid GPS data.
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Goalkeepers, players with long-term injury preventing participation, or sessions with missing or invalid GPS data.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| External Load MonitoringObservational monitoring of locomotor demands using GPS technology during routine training sessions and matches. No experimental intervention was applied. | Other | U23 Football Players |
Primary outcome
Counts of High-Intensity Accelerations and Decelerations (Absolute vs Normalized Thresholds)
Time frame: Across one competitive season (approximately 10 months)
Number of acceleration and deceleration efforts performed at high intensity using absolute thresholds (>3 m/s² and <-3 m/s²) and individualized normalized thresholds (75-100% of individual maximum) across microcycle sessions relative to match load.
2 secondary outcomes
Distance Covered in High-Intensity Accelerations and Decelerations
Time frame: Across one competitive season (approximately 10 months)
Training-to-Match Load Ratios
Time frame: Across one competitive season (approximately 10 months)
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 5 Mar 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No. Individual participant data will not be publicly shared due to privacy considerations and institutional agreements with the participating football club. Aggregated data may be available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Ricado Lemos Pimenta, PhD principal investigator
University of Maia
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
An observational study of Athletic Performance and Soccer, run by University of Maia at 1 site in Portugal.
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 1 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 5 Mar 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 Portugal. 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?
Counts of High-Intensity Accelerations and Decelerations (Absolute vs Normalized Thresholds) (time frame: Across one competitive season (approximately 10 months)). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
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 5 Mar 2026; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 30 Oct 2026.