Physical ActivityEXFREQNCT03275779
Investigating the Role of Resistance Exercise Frequency in the Regulation of Skeletal Muscle Mass
A study testing Low Frequency Condition and High Frequency Condition in people with Physical Activity, run by University of Birmingham at 1 site in United Kingdom.
Trial summary
This study will investigate whether manipulating resistance exercise frequency impacts muscle protein synthesis rates. The investigators will test the hypothesise that a higher resistance exercise frequency will result in greater muscle protein synthesis rates than a lower resistance exercise frequency. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 35 years, men onlyHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Physical Activity
- What is being tested?
- Low Frequency Condition and High Frequency Condition
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 9 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited Kingdom
- Study dates
- 1 Jan 2018to 1 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 18 to 35 years
- Men only
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- Body mass index (18.5-29.99 kg/m2)
- Untrained - defined as: Perform activities of daily living and recreation but have completed no regular lower body resistance-type exercise (e.g., weight training) activity in the last year.
- Good general health
Who cannot join
- Lidocaine allergy
- Hypertension (≥140/90 mmHg)
- Current participation in another clinical study
- Previous participation in this study
- Bleeding disorder/s
- Current or recent smoker
- Vegetarian or vegan
- Past history of substance abuse and/or taking prescription or non-prescription medication (e.g., beta-blockers, insulin or thyroxine) or supplements that may influence normal metabolic responses.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United Kingdom1 site
School of Sport Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Birmingham
Birmingham, West Midlands, B15 2TT
About this study
This study will investigate whether manipulating resistance exercise frequency impacts muscle protein synthesis rates. The investigators will test the hypothesise that a higher resistance exercise frequency will result in greater muscle protein synthesis rates than a lower resistance exercise frequency.
Read the detailed description
Resistance exercise is currently the most effective means of building or maintaining muscle mass. Resistance exercise guidelines generally suggest that those looking to increase muscle mass should train each muscle group once to twice per week. However, it has been proposed that it may be of greater benefit to train a muscle group with a higher frequency (i.e., four to six times per week) than currently suggested. If true, completing the same total volume of resistance exercise in more frequent, smaller bouts could prove to be a more beneficial strategy to optimally build or maintain muscle mass.
Therefore, this study will investigate whether manipulating resistance exercise frequency impacts cumulative muscle protein synthesis rates in young individuals. Participants will undergo a 7 day period of habitual activity before completing the same total volume of resistance exercise as either; i) one isolated bout (low frequency) or ii) five smaller bouts (high frequency) over a period of 7 days.
- Conditions
- Physical Activity
- Being tested
- Low Frequency Condition, High Frequency Condition
- Medical subject headings
- Motor Activity
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Low Frequency ConditionBehavioural
Young, untrained participants complete 7 days of habitual physical activity followed by a 7 day period where participants complete a single bout of unilateral resistance exercise.
High Frequency ConditionBehavioural
Young, untrained participants complete 7 days of habitual physical activity followed by a 7 day period where participants complete the same total volume of resistance exercise as the low frequency condition as five smaller bouts of unilateral resistance exercise.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Low Frequency Condition | Experimental | Participants complete 7 days of habitual physical activity followed by a 7 day period where participants complete a single bout of unilateral resistance exercise. Receives: Behavioral: Low Frequency Condition |
| High Frequency Condition | Experimental | Participants complete 7 days of habitual physical activity followed by a 7 day period where participants complete the same total volume of resistance exercise as the low frequency condition as five smaller bouts of unilateral resistance exercise. Receives: Behavioral: High Frequency Condition |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Change in muscle protein synthesis (FSR %/day)
The change in muscle protein synthesis rates (FSR %/day) from baseline will be determined between the low and high frequency conditions at days 10 and 15 using deuterium oxide (D2O).
Measured: At day 10 and 15.
Secondary outcomes (1)
Change in satellite cell response
The change in acute satellite cell response will be determined in muscle samples following low and high frequency resistance exercise at days 10 and 15.
Measured: At day 10 and 15.
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted8 Sep 2017
- Study start1 Jan 2018
- Primary completion1 Dec 2018
- Study completion1 Dec 2018
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Physical ActivityStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
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
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Crossover
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 9 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Birmingham
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Maastricht University
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Gareth Wallis, PhD, Principal investigator, University of Birmingham
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT03275779
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- ERN_17-0997
- Acronym
- EXFREQ
- Status last verified
- Dec 2022
- First submitted
- 31 Aug 2017
- Last updated
- 5 Jan 2023
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 5 Jan 2023. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Investigating the Role of Resistance Exercise Frequency in the Regulation of Skeletal Muscle Mass
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT03275779
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- EXFREQ / ERN_17-0997
- Conditions
- Physical Activity
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 9 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- University of BirminghamUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Maastricht University
- Study start
- 1 Jan 2018 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 1 Dec 2018 (actual)
- Study completion
- 1 Dec 2018 (actual)
- First posted
- 8 Sep 2017 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This study will investigate whether manipulating resistance exercise frequency impacts muscle protein synthesis rates. The investigators will test the hypothesise that a higher resistance exercise frequency will result in greater muscle protein synthesis rates than a lower resistance exercise frequency.
Detailed description
Resistance exercise is currently the most effective means of building or maintaining muscle mass. Resistance exercise guidelines generally suggest that those looking to increase muscle mass should train each muscle group once to twice per week. However, it has been proposed that it may be of greater benefit to train a muscle group with a higher frequency (i.e., four to six times per week) than currently suggested. If true, completing the same total volume of resistance exercise in more frequent, smaller bouts could prove to be a more beneficial strategy to optimally build or maintain muscle mass.
Therefore, this study will investigate whether manipulating resistance exercise frequency impacts cumulative muscle protein synthesis rates in young individuals. Participants will undergo a 7 day period of habitual activity before completing the same total volume of resistance exercise as either; i) one isolated bout (low frequency) or ii) five smaller bouts (high frequency) over a period of 7 days.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Crossover
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Low Frequency Condition | Experimental | Behavioral: Low Frequency ConditionParticipants complete 7 days of habitual physical activity followed by a 7 day period where participants complete a single bout of unilateral resistance exercise. |
| High Frequency Condition | Experimental | Behavioral: High Frequency ConditionParticipants complete 7 days of habitual physical activity followed by a 7 day period where participants complete the same total volume of resistance exercise as the low frequency condition as five smaller bouts of unilateral resistance exercise. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 35 years
- Sex
- Male only
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Body mass index (18.5-29.99 kg/m2)
- Untrained - defined as: Perform activities of daily living and recreation but have completed no regular lower body resistance-type exercise (e.g., weight training) activity in the last year.
- Good general health
Key exclusion criteria (8 listed)
- Lidocaine allergy
- Hypertension (≥140/90 mmHg)
- Current participation in another clinical study
- Previous participation in this study
- Bleeding disorder/s
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Low Frequency ConditionYoung, untrained participants complete 7 days of habitual physical activity followed by a 7 day period where participants complete a single bout of unilateral resistance exercise. | Behavioural | Low Frequency Condition |
| High Frequency ConditionYoung, untrained participants complete 7 days of habitual physical activity followed by a 7 day period where participants complete the same total volume of resistance exercise as the low frequency condition as five smaller bouts of unilateral resistance exercise. | Behavioural | High Frequency Condition |
Primary outcome
Change in muscle protein synthesis (FSR %/day)
Time frame: At day 10 and 15.
The change in muscle protein synthesis rates (FSR %/day) from baseline will be determined between the low and high frequency conditions at days 10 and 15 using deuterium oxide (D2O).
1 secondary outcome
Change in satellite cell response
Time frame: At day 10 and 15.
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 5 Jan 2023.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Gareth Wallis, PhD principal investigator
University of Birmingham
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Low Frequency Condition and High Frequency Condition in people with Physical Activity, run by University of Birmingham at 1 site in United Kingdom.
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 3 inclusion and 8 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 5 Jan 2023. 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 Kingdom. 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. 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 protein synthesis (FSR %/day) (time frame: At day 10 and 15.). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
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 5 Jan 2023.