Acute Effects of Neuroathletic Training-Integrated Resistance Training in Collegiate Athletes

Summary

This study investigated the acute and short-term effects of neuroathletic training (NAT)-integrated resistance training compared with conventional resistance training on physical and neuromuscular performance in collegiate athletes. Fifty-eight collegiate athletes completed two experimental resistance training sessions separated by one week. The conventional resistance training condition was performed first, followed one week later by a NAT-integrated resistance training condition.

Both sessions included the same lower-extremity resistance exercises, training volume, intensity, exercise order, and rest intervals. During the NAT-integrated condition, visual, vestibular, gaze-stabilization, and proprioceptive drills were incorporated before selected resistance sets and during rest intervals. Sprint acceleration, bilateral and unilateral jump performance, eccentric hamstring strength, bilateral hamstring maximum difference, and sit-and-reach flexibility were assessed before training, immediately after training, 15 minutes after training, and 30 minutes after training.

Conditions

• Athletic Performance Enhancement
• Neuromuscular Performance in Athletes
• Physical Performance

Interventions

OTHER

Conventional Lower-Extremity Resistance Training

Participants completed a standardized lower-extremity resistance training session consisting of six exercises: leg press, Romanian deadlift, leg extension, seated leg curl, dumbbell step-up, and Copenhagen exercise. Leg press: 4 sets of 8-10 repetitions at approximately RPE 7-8, with 90 seconds rest. Romanian deadlift: 4 sets of 6-8 repetitions with a controlled 4-second eccentric phase and 90 seconds rest. Leg extension: 4 sets of 8-12 repetitions with an explosive concentric phase and 75-90 seconds rest. Seated leg curl: 4 sets of 8-10 repetitions with a 4-5-second eccentric phase and 90 seconds rest. Dumbbell step-up: 3 sets of 6-8 repetitions per leg with 90 seconds rest. Copenhagen exercise: 3 sets of 20-30 seconds per side with 60-90 seconds rest. Rest intervals consisted of passive rest only. No visual, vestibular, proprioceptive, gaze-stabilization, unilateral eye-occlusion, saccular, or utricular drills were performed.

OTHER

Neuroathletic Training-Integrated Resistance Training

Participants completed the same lower-extremity resistance training protocol used in the conventional condition. The NAT-integrated condition additionally included a 6-8-minute pre-session neuroathletic activation block and brief neuroathletic primers before selected resistance sets and during rest intervals. The neuroathletic components included binocular convergence-divergence exercises, monocular convergence-divergence with unilateral eye occlusion, vertical vestibular/saccular stimulation, horizontal or linear vestibular stimulation, gaze stabilization, head-position variation, and proprioceptive awareness tasks. The purpose of these drills was to provide acute neural priming through visual, vestibular, oculomotor, proprioceptive, and sensorimotor stimulation while maintaining the same resistance training volume and intensity as the conventional condition.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Ankara Yildirim Beyazıt University

  lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation

NA

Purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

Masking

NONE

Model

SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

25 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2026-03-10

Primary Completion

2026-04-10

Completion

2026-06-10

Countries

• Turkey (Türkiye)

Study Locations