Athletic PerformanceNCT07665138
Sequence-Dependent Performance Adaptations Following Myofascial Chain Training in Youth Football Players
A study testing Posterior chain myofascial training and Spiral chain myofascial training in people with Athletic Performance, run by Mersin University at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).
Trial summary
This study looked at whether the order of two different types of muscle-and-connective-tissue ("myofascial chain") training affects how young football players improve their jumping power and balance. Forty male football players, aged 15 to 16, took part. Players were split into two groups by chance. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Any age, men onlyHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Athletic Performance
- What is being tested?
- Posterior chain myofascial training and Spiral chain myofascial training
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 40 participants
- Where
- 1 siteTurkey (Türkiye)
- Study dates
- 5 May 2025to 22 Dec 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 Any age
- Men only
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
None listed.
Who cannot join
- Presence of any musculoskeletal injury, recent surgery, or medical condition affecting lower-limb function within the past 6 months
- Inability to attend the required training sessions or assessment time points
- Unwillingness or inability of parents/legal guardians to provide informed consent
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: Sequence-Dependent Performance Adaptations Following Myofascial Chain Training in Youth Football Players: An Integrated Statistical and Knowledge Graph Approach
This study looked at whether the order of two different types of muscle-and-connective-tissue ("myofascial chain") training affects how young football players improve their jumping power and balance.
Forty male football players, aged 15 to 16, took part. Players were split into two groups by chance. One group did "posterior chain" training first, then switched to "spiral chain" training. The other group did the trainings in the opposite order. Each training phase lasted six weeks, and players kept doing their normal team practice at the same time.
Read more
Jumping power and balance were measured four times: before training started, after the first six weeks, after the second six weeks, and again four weeks after training ended.
The goal was to find out if starting with one type of training instead of the other leads to bigger, faster, or longer-lasting improvements. This information may help coaches design better training programs for young athletes.
Read the detailed description
Myofascial chains are interconnected lines of muscle and connective tissue that transmit force across body segments, contributing to movement efficiency, joint stability, and elastic energy storage. Among the chains described in fascial anatomy literature, the posterior chain is considered a primary contributor to explosive force production, while the spiral chain contributes to rotational control and dynamic balance. Despite growing interest in fascia-informed training approaches, no prior study has examined whether the sequence in which these chains are trained influences the magnitude, time-course, or persistence of performance adaptations in youth athletes.
To address this gap, the study employed a randomized crossover design. Participants were randomly allocated in a 1:1 ratio to one of two sequence groups: the Posterior Chain First Group (PCFG) or the Spiral Chain First Group (SCFG). Both groups continued their regular club training throughout the entire study period.
The intervention consisted of two consecutive six-week training blocks separated by a mid-test assessment. In the first block, each group performed their assigned myofascial chain protocol; following the crossover, groups switched protocols for the second block. Each training session lasted 30 minutes and was completed in addition to routine club practice. Outcomes were assessed at four time points - baseline, after the first block, after the second block, and at a four-week follow-up - to capture both the progression and persistence of adaptations.
The primary aim was to determine whether initiating training with the posterior chain versus the spiral chain produces differential adaptation trajectories, which may inform evidence-based sequencing decisions in youth athlete development programs.
- Conditions
- Athletic Performance
- Being tested
- Posterior chain myofascial training, Spiral chain myofascial training
- Keywords
- Myofascial chain sequencing, posterior chain, balance, countermovement jump, knowledge graph
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Posterior chain myofascial trainingOther
A 6-week, twice-weekly structured training protocol targeting the posterior myofascial chain, consisting of a warm-up, five functional exercises, and a cool-down phase, delivered in addition to routine club training.
Spiral chain myofascial trainingOther
A 6-week, twice-weekly structured training protocol targeting the spiral myofascial chain, consisting of a warm-up, five functional exercises, and a cool-down phase, delivered in addition to routine club training.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| PCFG (Posterior Chain First) | Experimental | Participants performed a posterior chain-focused myofascial training protocol during the first 6-week period, followed by a spiral chain-focused protocol during the second 6-week period, in addition to routine club training. Receives: Other: Posterior chain myofascial training; Other: Spiral chain myofascial training |
| SCFG (Spiral Chain First) | Experimental | Participants performed a spiral chain-focused myofascial training protocol during the first 6-week period, followed by a posterior chain-focused protocol during the second 6-week period, in addition to routine club training. Receives: Other: Posterior chain myofascial training; Other: Spiral chain myofascial training |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Countermovement Jump (CMJ) Height
Lower-limb explosive power was assessed using the countermovement jump, measured with a photocell device (SE-JP1). Each participant performed three non-consecutive jumps with hands on hips, and the mean of the three trials was used for analysis.
Measured: Measured at baseline (pre-test), 6 weeks (mid-test), 12 weeks (post-test), and 4 weeks post-test (follow-up)
Secondary outcomes (1)
Dynamic Balance - YBT
Dynamic balance was assessed using the Y-Balance Test with the right/left leg as the stance leg, measuring reach distance (cm) in the anterior, posteromedial, and posterolateral directions, normalized to leg length.
Measured: Measured at baseline (pre-test), 6 weeks (mid-test), 12 weeks (post-test), and 4 weeks post-test (follow-up)
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted24 Jun 2026
- Study start5 May 2025
- Primary completion1 Sep 2025
- Study completion22 Dec 2025
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (1)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Athletic PerformanceStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Mersin UniversityThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- 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
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Crossover
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 40 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Mersin University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Inci Kesilmis, Mersin University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07665138
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- MEU-SBF-IK-01
- Status last verified
- Jun 2026
- First submitted
- 18 Jun 2026
- Last updated
- 29 Jun 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: De-identified individual participant data underlying the results reported in this article (CMJ and Y-Balance Test scores at all four assessment time points), along with the study protocol.
Publications
Kesilmis I, Simsek A, Isik A, Simsek M. Myofascial chain sequencing and performance adaptations in youth football players: an exploratory knowledge graph-supported analysis. BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil. 2026 Sep 8;18(1):520. doi: 10.1186/s13102-026-02066-0.
PubMed 42920142
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 29 Jun 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Sequence-Dependent Performance Adaptations Following Myofascial Chain Training in Youth Football Players: An Integrated Statistical and Knowledge Graph Approach
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07665138
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- MEU-SBF-IK-01
- Conditions
- Athletic Performance
- Keywords
- Myofascial chain sequencing, posterior chain, balance, countermovement jump, knowledge graph
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 40 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Mersin UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 5 May 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 1 Sep 2025 (actual)
- Study completion
- 22 Dec 2025 (actual)
- First posted
- 24 Jun 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 study looked at whether the order of two different types of muscle-and-connective-tissue ("myofascial chain") training affects how young football players improve their jumping power and balance.
Forty male football players, aged 15 to 16, took part. Players were split into two groups by chance. One group did "posterior chain" training first, then switched to "spiral chain" training. The other group did the trainings in the opposite order. Each training phase lasted six weeks, and players kept doing their normal team practice at the same time.
Jumping power and balance were measured four times: before training started, after the first six weeks, after the second six weeks, and again four weeks after training ended.
The goal was to find out if starting with one type of training instead of the other leads to bigger, faster, or longer-lasting improvements. This information may help coaches design better training programs for young athletes.
Detailed description
Myofascial chains are interconnected lines of muscle and connective tissue that transmit force across body segments, contributing to movement efficiency, joint stability, and elastic energy storage. Among the chains described in fascial anatomy literature, the posterior chain is considered a primary contributor to explosive force production, while the spiral chain contributes to rotational control and dynamic balance. Despite growing interest in fascia-informed training approaches, no prior study has examined whether the sequence in which these chains are trained influences the magnitude, time-course, or persistence of performance adaptations in youth athletes.
To address this gap, the study employed a randomized crossover design. Participants were randomly allocated in a 1:1 ratio to one of two sequence groups: the Posterior Chain First Group (PCFG) or the Spiral Chain First Group (SCFG). Both groups continued their regular club training throughout the entire study period.
The intervention consisted of two consecutive six-week training blocks separated by a mid-test assessment. In the first block, each group performed their assigned myofascial chain protocol; following the crossover, groups switched protocols for the second block. Each training session lasted 30 minutes and was completed in addition to routine club practice. Outcomes were assessed at four time points - baseline, after the first block, after the second block, and at a four-week follow-up - to capture both the progression and persistence of adaptations.
The primary aim was to determine whether initiating training with the posterior chain versus the spiral chain produces differential adaptation trajectories, which may inform evidence-based sequencing decisions in youth athlete development programs.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Crossover
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| PCFG (Posterior Chain First) | Experimental | Other: Posterior chain myofascial training, Other: Spiral chain myofascial trainingParticipants performed a posterior chain-focused myofascial training protocol during the first 6-week period, followed by a spiral chain-focused protocol during the second 6-week period, in addition to routine club training. |
| SCFG (Spiral Chain First) | Experimental | Other: Posterior chain myofascial training, Other: Spiral chain myofascial trainingParticipants performed a spiral chain-focused myofascial training protocol during the first 6-week period, followed by a posterior chain-focused protocol during the second 6-week period, in addition to routine club training. |
Who may qualify
- Sex
- Male only
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (0 listed)
Key exclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Presence of any musculoskeletal injury, recent surgery, or medical condition affecting lower-limb function within the past 6 months
- Inability to attend the required training sessions or assessment time points
- Unwillingness or inability of parents/legal guardians to provide informed consent
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Posterior chain myofascial trainingA 6-week, twice-weekly structured training protocol targeting the posterior myofascial chain, consisting of a warm-up, five functional exercises, and a cool-down phase, delivered in addition to routine club training. | Other | PCFG (Posterior Chain First), SCFG (Spiral Chain First) |
| Spiral chain myofascial trainingA 6-week, twice-weekly structured training protocol targeting the spiral myofascial chain, consisting of a warm-up, five functional exercises, and a cool-down phase, delivered in addition to routine club training. | Other | PCFG (Posterior Chain First), SCFG (Spiral Chain First) |
Primary outcome
Countermovement Jump (CMJ) Height
Time frame: Measured at baseline (pre-test), 6 weeks (mid-test), 12 weeks (post-test), and 4 weeks post-test (follow-up)
Lower-limb explosive power was assessed using the countermovement jump, measured with a photocell device (SE-JP1). Each participant performed three non-consecutive jumps with hands on hips, and the mean of the three trials was used for analysis.
1 secondary outcome
Dynamic Balance - YBT
Time frame: Measured at baseline (pre-test), 6 weeks (mid-test), 12 weeks (post-test), and 4 weeks post-test (follow-up)
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 29 Jun 2026.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 42920142Kesilmis I, Simsek A, Isik A, Simsek M. Myofascial chain sequencing and performance adaptations in youth football players: an exploratory knowledge graph-supported analysis. BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil. 2026 Sep 8;18(1):520. doi: 10.1186/s13102-026-02066-0.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. De-identified individual participant data underlying the results reported in this article (CMJ and Y-Balance Test scores at all four assessment time points), along with the study protocol.
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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.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Posterior chain myofascial training and Spiral chain myofascial training in people with Athletic Performance, run by Mersin University at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).
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 0 inclusion and 3 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 29 Jun 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 Turkey (Türkiye). 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?
Countermovement Jump (CMJ) Height (time frame: Measured at baseline (pre-test), 6 weeks (mid-test), 12 weeks (post-test), and 4 weeks post-test (follow-up)). 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 NCT07665138, which also lists 1 linked publication.
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 29 Jun 2026.