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SarcopeniaNCT03258346

Reversing Muscle Loss With Exercise Training and Daily Consumption of Pomegranate Juice

A study testing Inertial Load Cycling Training and Pomegranate Juice in people with Sarcopenia and Cardiovascular Risk Factor, run by University of Texas at Austin at 1 site in United States.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

A research study regarding the body's response to several weeks of training using short sprints and pomegranate juice supplementation Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 50 to 70 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Sarcopenia, Cardiovascular Risk Factor
What is being tested?
Inertial Load Cycling Training and Pomegranate Juice
Could I receive a placebo?
Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
How many people
40 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
7 Nov 2017to 15 Dec 2018
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 50 to 70 years
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • 50-70 year old male and females

Who cannot join

  • not currently exercising regularly
  • meets criteria for MRI scanning at Imaging Research Center at UT Austin
  • history of heart disease
  • knee/hip joint problems
  • determination by the physician monitoring pre inclusion stress test

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site
  • Human Performance Laboratory

    Austin, Texas, 78712

Other trials in United States

About this study

A research study regarding the body's response to several weeks of training using short sprints and pomegranate juice supplementation

Read the detailed description

The investigators have shown that chronic pomegranate juice consumption in both young untrained and weight-trained men partially protects muscles against the damage done from performing high intensity eccentric contractions and that it accelerates recovery of function. Clearly, skeletal muscle is a target for some of the healthful molecules in pomegranate juice. However, the most widespread and serious ailment to strike skeletal muscle is sarcopenia (e.g.; loss of muscle mass and becoming 'frail') with age due predominantly to a loss of 'fast-twitch' muscle fibers. Since adults rarely sprint or exert maximal force or power, they rarely use their fast-twitch muscle fibers, which thus degenerate greatly with age. Usually, about one-half of a person's muscle fibers are fast-twitch. It is the investigators' hypothesis that the combination of power exercise training and pomegranate juice supplementation (POM) over 10 weeks, will elicit greater improvements in maximal muscular power and functional physical abilities compared to power training with a placebo. The investigators also will identify changes in size and composition of leg muscles (MRI) and of the whole body (DEXA). The investigators simple logic is that muscles deteriorate with age because they are 'turned-off' and that exercise training can turn them 'back-on', but in order for the muscle fibers to fully repair when turned 'back-on' with exercise, they might benefit from agents known to foster repair, such as the natural polyphenols in pomegranate juice. It has recently been found that polyphenols are metabolized into urolithins which improve muscle cell function due to increased mitophagy. The investigators aim to determine if power training and pomegranate juice have additive effects in promoting improvements of muscle function and mass in men and women age 50-70 y.

A second purpose is to include a cardio-metabolic exercise training stimulus into the workout without compromising the efficacy of the power training. One feature of cardio-metabolic training is an increase in muscle mitochondria and oxygen utilization which might improve muscle fiber repair. The 'power training' will consist of maximal effort 4 sec sprints on a cycle ergometer with no added resistance with the only load being that of the inertia of the flywheel as the subject accelerates from 0 to their maximal RPM's while cycling (100-150 RPM)('inertial load ergometer'; ILE). The power training will be accomplished by having the subject complete 15-30 sprints in a 15 min period. During the training bouts, initially the subjects will rest 56 s between sprints (week 1- complete 15 sprints in each15 min bout), and then 41 s between sprints (weeks 2-5 and complete 20 sprints) and finally 26 s between sprints (weeks 6-10 and complete 30 sprints). The shorter rest periods (41 s and 26 s) will result in incomplete recovery of the cardio-respiratory system and thus the oxygen consumption and heart rate will average 50-70% of maximal values, which is a similar intensity as jogging, but without the jarring of foot strike.

Being tested
Inertial Load Cycling Training, Pomegranate Juice, Placebo
Keywords
Pomegranate Juice, Functional Tasks of Living
Medical subject headings
Sarcopenia

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Inertial Load Cycling TrainingOther

    Also called High intensity interval training

    Each session of training will require a total of 15 min with the total time actually exercising of only 60-120 sec. The first week will consist of performing 15 'sprints' on the ILE, beginning each sprint with 56 sec of rest. During week 2-5, subjects will rest 41 sec between sprints, completing 20 bouts. Finally, during weeks 6-10, subjects will take 26 s rest between sprints and complete 30 bouts).

  • Pomegranate JuiceDietary supplement

    Subjects will consume 8oz of pomegranate juice daily for duration of study.

  • PlaceboDietary supplement

    Subjects will consume 8oz of pomegranate juice daily, that has had the polyphenols removed.

Study groups in NCT03258346
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Exercise and Pomegranate JuiceExperimentalExercise training with daily consumption of pomegranate juice containing polyphenols
Receives: Other: Inertial Load Cycling Training; Dietary Supplement: Pomegranate Juice
Exercise and PlaceboPlacebo comparatorExercise training with daily consumption of pomegranate juice with polyphenols removed
Receives: Other: Inertial Load Cycling Training; Dietary Supplement: Placebo

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Change in muscle volume

    Volume of the thigh musculature as determined by MRI analysis.

    Measured: Baseline to 11 weeks

  2. Change in sarcopenia obesity

    Intermuscular adipose tissue infiltration as measured by MRI

    Measured: Baseline to 11 weeks

  3. Change in aerobic capacity

    VO2 Max on a cycle ergometer

    Measured: Baseline to 11 weeks

  4. Change in anaerobic capacity

    The percent of maximal aerobic capacity that a subject can exercise at while not building up blood lactate

    Measured: Baseline to 11 weeks

  5. Change in muscle fatigue

    Muscle aerobic stress as measured by near infrared spectroscopy

    Measured: Baseline to 11 weeks

  6. Change in body composition

    Fat and fat free regional and total mass as measured by dual x-ray absorptiometry

    Measured: Baseline to 11 weeks

  7. Change in maximal power production

    The ability to produce power as determined on the cycle ergometer and measured in watts

    Measured: Baseline to 11 weeks

Secondary outcomes (6)
  1. Change in cardiovascular risk factors

    Flow mediated dilation and pulse wave velocity

    Measured: Baseline to 11 weeks

  2. Change in urolithins

    The ability to breakdown the beneficial components of pomegranate juice into urolithins is different among individuals

    Measured: Baseline, 2 hrs after consuming first pomegranate or placebo supplement

  3. Change in Microbiome

    The change in the gut microbiota as a result of supplementation with pomegranate juice.

    Measured: Baseline, week 10 and week 15

  4. Change in maximal isometric strength

    The maximal ability to push against a immovable object as measured in the thigh musculature

    Measured: Baseline to 11 weeks

  5. Change in functional tests of living

    Movement tasks specific to the daily life of the elderly

    Measured: Baseline to 11 weeks

  6. Change in isokinetic torque

    The subject will exert maximal leg extension at two speeds and the maximal torque generated will be quantified

    Measured: Baseline to 11 weeks

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted23 Aug 2017
  2. Study start7 Nov 2017
  3. Primary completion15 Dec 2018
  4. Study completion15 Dec 2018

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Prevention
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
Double blind
Who is masked
Participant, Investigator
Enrolment
40 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT03258346
Sponsor's protocol ID
2017-05-0092
Status last verified
Feb 2019
First submitted
12 Jul 2017
Last updated
20 Feb 2019
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No

Publications

  • Allen JR, Satiroglu R, Fico B, Tanaka H, Vardarli E, Luci JJ, Coyle EF. Inertial Load Power Cycling Training Increases Muscle Mass and Aerobic Power in Older Adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2021 Jun 1;53(6):1188-1193. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000002588.

    PubMed 33433149

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Inertial Load Cycling Training and Pomegranate Juice in people with Sarcopenia and Cardiovascular Risk Factor, run by University of Texas at Austin at 1 site in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 5 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 20 Feb 2019. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Change in muscle volume (time frame: Baseline to 11 weeks). The study lists 7 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT03258346, which also lists 1 linked publication.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 20 Feb 2019.

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