Neuromuscular Training in Professional Esports Players
Trial statusRecruiting
Trial phaseNot applicable
Trial typeInterventional
Biological sexMale
Age18-35
SponsorYeditepe University
About this trial
Professional esports players engage in prolonged training sessions and experience high physical and mental stress due to intensive competition schedules. These demands can lead to increased fatigue, decreased performance, and health problems. This randomized controlled trial aims to investigate whether adding a structured neuromuscular exercise program to routine esports training reduces fatigue and stress biomarkers and improves performance-related outcomes in professional esports players.
Eligibility criteria
This trial accepts healthy volunteersQualifiers
Age between 18-35 years
Currently competing as a contracted professional esports player
Participating in ≥35 hours/week of training with their team
Voluntary agreement to participate and sign informed consent
Disqualifiers
History or presence of medical conditions affecting safety or performance: metabolic, cardiovascular, renal, neurological, or respiratory disorders
Playing esports only at amateur or beginner level
Answering "Yes" to any item in the Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PAR-Q)
Participating in <35 hours/week esports training during the study
Trial design
Design model
Parallel
Treatments tested in this trial
Neuromuscular Training
BehavioralA progressive neuromuscular exercise program including dynamic warm-up, aerobic exercises, functional strengthening of lower and upper extremity muscles, core stabilization training, and reaction drills performed 3 times per week for 8 weeks. Duration and repetitions increase biweekly according to a structured progression protocol.
Physical Activity Counseling
BehavioralStructured physical activity counseling based on ACSM 5A principles (Assess, Advise, Agree, Assist, Arrange) delivered weekly for 8 weeks to promote sustainable physical activity behaviors and reduce sedentary time during esports training routines.
Treatment groups
24 Participants
are divided into 2 treatment groupsGroup A: Neuromuscular TrainingExperimental treatment 1 intervention
Group B: Physical Activity CounselingActive comparator 1 intervention
Trial outcomes
Primary outcomes
1
Serum cortisol level - Stress Biomarkers
Serum cortisol level will be analyzed under fasting conditions using standardized laboratory protocols.
Time frame
Baseline and 8 weeks2
Testosterone level - Stress Biomarkers
Testosterone level will be analyzed under fasting conditions using standardized laboratory protocols.
Time frame
Baseline and 8 weeks3
C-Reactive Protein Level (CRP) - Fatigue Biomarkers
Serum CRP levels will be analyzed under fasting conditions using standardized laboratory protocols.
Time frame
Baseline and 8 weeks4
Creatine Kinase (CK) Level - Fatigue Biomarkers
Creatine kinase levels will be analyzed under fasting conditions using standardized laboratory protocols.
Time frame
Baseline and 8 weeks.Secondary outcomes
1
Muscle Strength
Hand, forearm, shoulder, and back muscle strength will be assessed using a handheld myometer; mean of three trials recorded in kilograms.
Time frame
Baseline and 8 weeks2
Sleep Quality
Assessment of subjective sleep quality, sleep duration, sleep disturbances, and overall sleep efficiency with Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) consists of 19 items that generate seven component scores, each ranging from 0 to 3, yielding a global score between 0 and 21, with higher scores indicating poorer sleep quality; a total score greater than 5 reflects clinically significant sleep disturbance.
Time frame
Baseline and 8 weeks3
Physical Activity Level
Self-reported physical activity levels converted to MET-minutes per week. (IPAQ-Short Form). The International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-SF) provides total physical activity expressed in Metabolic Equivalent of Task (MET)-minutes/week, and scores are categorized as follows: \<600 MET-minutes/week indicates low activity, 600-3000 MET-minutes/week indicates moderate activity, and \>3000 MET-minutes/week indicates high physical activity level.
Time frame
Baseline and 8 weeks4
Reaction Time
Average visual reaction time over 5 trials recorded in milliseconds. Average response latency to an auditory stimulus over 5 trials.
Time frame
Baseline and 8 weeksSponsors and contacts
Click on the lead sponsor to view all of their trials.
Yeditepe University
Lead sponsor
Istanbul University - Cerrahpasa
Collaborator
Source ClinicalTrials.gov