An interventional study of Cranberry Intervention in Sport Nutrition, Sports Performance in Children and Ergogenic Athletic Performance, sponsored by Istanbul Bilgi University. Completed at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye). Open to male participants aged 14 Years to 19 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2025-09-08.
Sponsored by Istanbul Bilgi University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Supportive care
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if a lyophilized Cornelian Cherry supplement works to improve anaerobic performance and reduce fatigue in young football players (U14-U19 age group).
The main questions it aims to answer are:
Researchers will measure participants' performance and fatigue levels before the study begins and compare them to the levels measured after 1 week of taking the cranberry supplement. This will help determine the effect of the supplement.
Participants will:
A balanced diet plays a role in preventing injuries, improving athletic performance, and accelerating post-exercise recovery in adolescents who engage in physical activity. The physiological response to exercise can vary depending on the duration, intensity, and frequency of exercise, as well as environmental conditions. Excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) production triggered by high-intensity exercise or other stress factors in athletes can lead to oxidative stress and subsequent tissue damage by weakening the antioxidant defense system. Therefore, athletes may need to maintain increased ROS scavenging activity. Additionally, physical exercise can lead to injuries in skeletal muscle tissue, leading to decreased performance. Therefore, strategies to manage exercise-related injuries and post-exercise inflammatory processes may contribute to accelerating exercise adaptation and recovery. Recently, there has been increasing support for the possibility of improving exercise performance through supplementation with fruit-derived polyphenols. Polyphenols are secondary metabolites abundant in plant foods and are divided into four main groups: lignans, stilbenes, and flavonoids. Anthocyanins, a subclass of flavonoids, are found in red, purple, and blue vegetables and fruits. Anthocyanins are known for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and therefore, they are thought to prevent adverse physiological effects such as fatigue and post-exercise inflammation, which can potentially occur during exercise. The potential mechanism of action is thought to be related to antioxidant and vascular effects. Turkey is among the countries where cornelian cherries, another fruit with high biological value due to their anthocyanin and other phenolic compounds, are cultivated. Randomized controlled trials have examined the effectiveness of freeze-dried cornelian cherry supplements in various disease groups. Studies have observed positive effects on lipid profiles, as well as parameters related to body mass index (BMI), body weight, waist and hip circumference, and insulin resistance. Another randomized controlled trial has indicated that cornelian cherry supplementation may be effective in accelerating post-exercise recovery in athletes. While the literature has evaluated the effects of various forms of supplementation with fruits high in anthocyanins on sports performance, studies examining anaerobic power and capacity with cornelian cherry supplementation in adolescent athletes are limited. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of freeze-dried cornelian cherry fruit on anaerobic performance in adolescent soccer players.
Istanbul Bilgi University is the lead sponsor of 50 studies on the registry; 4 are open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Exclusion Criteria:
In order to determine the standard performance of the adolescent football players in the first stage before the intervention, a Running-Based Anaerobic Sprint Test (RAST) was applied to the adolescent football players on a grass field in an open-air environment after a 10-minute warm-up exercise.
In the second phase of the study, adolescent soccer players were given 30 grams of freeze-dried cranberries containing 1187 mg/100 g anthocyanins daily for 1 week. To determine post-intervention performance, the adolescent soccer players underwent a 10-minute warm-up exercise followed by a Running-Based Anaerobic Sprint Test (RAST) on a grass field in an outdoor environment.
Other: Cranberry Intervention
30 grams of lyophilized cranberry containing 1187 mg/100 g anthocyanins were given for 7 days.
Running-Based Anaerobic Sprint Test (RAST) - Performance Test
The RAST is a test consisting of six 35-meter sprints at maximum speed, with a 10-second rest interval between each sprint. In this test, power is calculated for each sprint using body mass and the resulting performance data (Power = (Total body mass x Distance2) / Time3). The highest recorded number is called maximum power; the lowest number is called minimum power; and the sum of the six sprints divided by six is called average power. Muscle fatigue is assessed using the Fatigue Index (Maximum Power - Minimum Power) / Sum of the 6 sprint times). A lower value indicates that athletes have better muscular ability to maintain their performance without fatigue.
Time frame: From enrollment to the end of study at 1 week
Anthropometric Measurements - Body weight (kg)
At the beginning and end of the study, body weights (kg) measured using a bioelectrical impedance (BIA) device with a sensitivity of 50 grams in accordance with the measurement standards.
Time frame: From enrollment to the end of study at 1 week
Anthropometric Measurements - Height
Height (cm) measured with a stadiometer in the Frankfort plane, standing and with the head upright.
Time frame: 1 week
Body Mass Index
The body mass index (BMI) of the participants was calculated according to the body weight (kg) / height (m)2 formula.
Time frame: From enrollment to the end of study at 1 week
Anthropometric Measurements - Fat Mass
At the beginning and end of the study, body fat mass (kg) analysis was performed using a bioelectrical impedance (BIA) device, paying attention to measurement standards.
Time frame: From enrollment to the end of study at 1 week
Anthropometric Measurements - Fat ratio calculation
At the beginning and end of the study, body composition analyses was performed using a bioelectrical impedance (BIA) device with measurement standards. According to the BIA analysis, fat percentage (%) will be calculated as the ratio of total body fat weight to total body weight.
Time frame: From enrollment to the end of study at 1 week
Anthropometric Measurements - Fat-free mass
At the beginning and end of the study, fat-free mass (kg) was analyzed using a bioelectrical impedance (BIA) device, paying attention to measurement standards.
Time frame: From enrollment to the end of study at 1 week
Anthropometric Measurements - Muscle mass
At the beginning and end of the study, lean muscle mass (kg) was analyzed using a bioelectrical impedance (BIA) device, paying attention to measurement standards.
Time frame: From enrollment to the end of study at 1 week
Anthropometric Measurements - Total body water
At the beginning and end of the study, total body water (kg) was analyzed using a bioelectrical impedance (BIA) device, paying attention to measurement standards.
Time frame: From enrollment to the end of study at 1 week
Food Consumption Record - Energy
The food consumption record was taken to evaluate the nutritional status of the participants. Food consumption records were evaluated in the BeBIS (Nutrition Information System) program and the daily energy (kcal) intake will be calculated.
Time frame: 1 day
Food Consumption Record
The food consumption record were taken to evaluate the nutritional status of the participants. Food consumption records were evaluated in the BeBIS (Nutrition Information System) program and the daily carbohydrate (g), protein (g), fat (g), saturated fat (g), monounsaturated fatty acid (g), polyunsaturated fatty acid (g), omega-3 fatty acids (g), omega-6 fatty acids (g), and fiber (g) intake were calculated.
Time frame: 1 day
Food Consumption Record
The food consumption record was taken to evaluate the nutritional status of the participants. Food consumption records were evaluated in the BeBIS (Nutrition Information System) program and the daily vitamin A (µg), vitamin D (µg), vitamin K (µg), folate (µg), and vitamin B12 (µg) intake were calculated.
Time frame: 1 day
Food Consumption Record
The food consumption record was taken to evaluate the nutritional status of the participants. Food consumption records were evaluated in the BeBIS (Nutrition Information System) program and the daily vitamin E (mg), thiamine (mg), riboflavine (mg), niacin (mg), vitamine B5 (mg), vitamin B6 (mg), vitamin C, sodium (mg), potassium (mg), calcium (mg), magnesium (mg), phosphor (mg), iron (mg), zinc (mg), copper (mg), cholesterol (mg) intake were calculated.
Time frame: 1 day
Plan to share: No
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Istanbul Bilgi University