Effects of 8-Week Recreational Basketball and Soccer Training on Physical Fitness, Body Composition, and Psychological Responses in Untrained Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial

<title>Abstract</title> <p>To compare the effects of recreational soccer and basketball on physical fitness, body composition, and psychological responses in untrained young adults, this randomized controlled trial enrolled 45 participants (age: 19.82 ± 0.61 years) and allocated them 1:1:1 to soccer small-sided games (SSG), basketball small-sided games (BSG), or a control group (CG), with 15 per group. Both training groups underwent 3 sessions weekly for 8 weeks. The results demonstrated that SSG and BSG significantly improved BMI (-2.8% and − 2.7%, p &lt; 0.001), lean body mass (-1.9% and − 1.8%, p &lt; 0.001), 1RM squat (+ 7.4% and + 6.9%, p &lt; 0.001), 20 m MFT (+ 19.8% and + 20.5%, p &lt; 0.001), VO₂max (+ 10.0% and + 10.3%, p &lt; 0.001), and repeated sprint variables (all p &lt; 0.001), with no changes in CG (all p &gt; 0.05). Both training groups outperformed CG in peak power (p &lt; 0.001), mean power (p &lt; 0.01), and fatigue index (p &lt; 0.05), with no differences between SSG and BSG (all p &gt; 0.05). Exercise enjoyment remained high in both groups, while basketball elicited higher initial perceived exertion and soccer required greater mental effort later. These findings demonstrate that both recreational basketball and soccer are equally effective in improving fitness in untrained young adults, with sustained enjoyment supporting their feasibility as public health tools.</p>