Effect of a sports-medicine-guided football program on physical fitness in adolescents: A controlled school-based trial

Clinical Snapshot

Key Findings

• P Value: P < 0.01 for lung capacity and VO2max; P < 0.05 for sprint, distance running, and lower-limb power

• Effect Size: Not reported

• Primary Outcome: Significant Group × Time interactions for lung capacity and VO2max (both P < 0.01)

• Nnt Or Sensitivity: Not calculable from available data

• Confidence Interval: Not provided

Clinical Application

Moderate - requires sports medicine expertise and technology infrastructure for implementation Relevant to Australian secondary schools; aligns with national physical activity guidelines and could support ACARA Health and Physical Education curriculum objectives Healthy adolescents aged 13-15 years in school-based physical education programs

Abstract

Integrating artificial intelligence (AI) with sports medicine principles into school-based physical education may enhance physical fitness and reduce injury risk among adolescents. This study aimed to evaluate whether a 10-week sports-medicine-guided football curriculum augmented with explainable machine-learning feedback produces greater improvements in physical fitness and injury-prevention outcomes than a standard physical-education curriculum. A total of 195 healthy junior high school students (mean age 14.1 ± 0.7 years) participated in a controlled school-based intervention and were allocated to either an AI-supported sports-medicine curriculum (intervention) or a standard curriculum (control). Physical fitness outcomes, including lung capacity, estimated maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max), sprint performance, standing long jump, and middle-distance running performance (800 m girls/1000 m boys), were assessed before and after the 10-week program. Outcomes were analyzed using 2-way mixed analysis of variance to test Group × Time interactions. Injury risk prediction was supported by an explainable machine-learning ensemble model (CatBoost + Gradient Boosting) interpreted using SHAPley Additive explanations. Significant Group × Time interactions were observed for lung capacity (P < .01) and VO2max (P < .01), indicating greater improvements in the intervention group compared with controls. The intervention group also demonstrated superior improvements in sprint performance, middle-distance running, and lower-limb power (P < .05), while no significant between-group differences were observed for upper-body strength (P > .05). A school-based football curriculum integrating sports-medicine principles with explainable AI-driven feedback leads to significantly greater improvements in key physical-fitness outcomes than a standard physical-education curriculum. This approach directly supports individualized training adaptation and injury-risk awareness, offering a scalable model for enhancing adolescent health and safety in school physical education.

References

1. 1.Shi, K., Ye, Y., Zheng, T., Tang, K., Bin, J., Wei, L., & Wang, L. (2026). Effect of a sports-medicine-guided football program on physical fitness in adolescents: A controlled school-based trial. Medicine, Article 0000000000048649. https://doi.org/10.1097/MD.0000000000048649