Timing is everything: could a common food additive give soccer players an extra sprint?
NCT ID NCT07737327
First seen Jul 30, 2026 · Last updated Jul 31, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This trial tests whether taking sodium citrate at a personalized time — when blood bicarbonate peaks — can improve repeated sprint performance in professional female soccer players. Twenty players will receive either sodium citrate or a placebo before a series of maximal sprints. The study measures power output, fatigue, and blood markers to see if the supplement reduces fatigue and enhances performance.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- sodium citrate (trisodium citrate) dissolved in flavored water, taken at an individually timed peak blood bicarbonate point
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a simple dietary supplement strategy to reduce fatigue and improve sprint performance in athletes.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage trial in a specific group (professional female soccer players), so results may not apply to other athletes or sports. The supplement may cause gastrointestinal discomfort or have no effect.
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Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 20 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Aug 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Feb 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 to 25 years
- Sex
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Female participants only
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Female professional soccer players competing in the Turkish Women's Third League * Age between 18-25 years * Active training status (minimum 3 sessions per week) * Regular menstrual cycles * Both experimental trials scheduled in the same phase of the menstrual cycle, outside of menstruation * No use of nutritional supplements in the 4 weeks prior to the study * Willingness to provide written informed consent Exclusion Criteria: * Use of oral contraceptives * Irregular menstrual cycle * History of gastrointestinal disorders * Any musculoskeletal injury preventing maximal sprint performance * Smoking * Use of any medication that may affect acid-base balance * Pregnancy
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As listed by the trial registrant
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How to take part
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The official record
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