Accidental FallsHIPSNCT03731572
Hip Muscle Power, Lateral Balance Function, and Falls in Aging
A study testing Power Training and Strength Training in people with Accidental Falls, run by University of Maryland, Baltimore at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
Falls and their consequences are among the major problems in the medical care of older individuals. The long-term goal of this research is to develop a mechanistically based therapeutic intervention to enhance muscle power, weight-shifting capability, and lateral balance function through protective stepping to prevent… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 65 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Accidental Falls
- What is being tested?
- Power Training and Strength Training
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 97 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 16 Sep 2019to 10 Jan 2026
- 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 65 years and older
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Older adult
Who may be able to join
- 65 years of age or older
- Functionally independent
- Living in the community
- Generally healthy
Who cannot join
- Cognitive impairment (Mini Mental Score Exam less than 24)
- Sedative use
- Non-ambulatory
- Any clinically significant musculoskeletal impairment
- Any clinically significant neurological impairment
- Any clinically significant cardiopulmonary impairment
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- Any clinically significant metabolic impairment
- Any general medical problem that will interfere with testing or training
- Diabetes, renal, or liver disease by identified by routine chemistry
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
VA Maryland Health Care System
Baltimore, Maryland, 21201
About this study
Falls and their consequences are among the major problems in the medical care of older individuals. The long-term goal of this research is to develop a mechanistically based therapeutic intervention to enhance muscle power, weight-shifting capability, and lateral balance function through protective stepping to prevent falls. When human balance is challenged, protective stepping is a vital strategy for preventing a fall during activities of daily life. Many older people at risk for falls have particular difficulties with successfully stepping sideways as a protective response to loss of balance in the lateral direction. Age-related declines in lateral balance function result from neuromuscular and biomechanical limitations in hip abductor-adductor muscle power generation. This study will test whether these impairments can be improved with high-velocity hip muscle resistance power training that will be more effective than conventional resistance strength training.
Read the detailed description
Falls and their consequences are among the major problems in the medical care of older individuals. The long-term goal of this research is to develop a mechanistically based therapeutic intervention to enhance muscle power, weight-shifting capability, and lateral balance function through protective stepping to prevent falls. When human balance is challenged, protective stepping is a vital strategy for preventing a fall during activities of daily life. Many older people at risk for falls have particular difficulties with successfully stepping sideways as a protective response to loss of balance in the lateral direction. The investigators propose that age-related declines in lateral balance function through impaired weight transfer and protective stepping linked with falls, result from neuromuscular and biomechanical limitations in hip abductor-adductor (AB-AD) muscle power generation. Moreover, the investigators hypothesize that these balance and neuromotor impairments can be improved with high-velocity muscle resistance power training that will be more effective than conventional muscle resistance strength training. The specific aims are, Aim 1: To conduct a single blind, randomized, and controlled trial comparing the effects of 12 weeks of hip AB-AD muscle power training against strength training, and the rate of retention after 3 months of no training in community living older adults by determining a) the changes in neuromotor performance (kinetics, kinematics, muscle activation patterns) of pre-step weight transfer during waist-pull induced side stepping, and rapid voluntary reaction time (RT) sidestepping; and by b) the changes in isolated hip AB-AD muscle neuromotor performance. Weight shifting and stepping ability will be tested with different initial induced stepping limb load conditions, and by varying voluntary stepping limb selection certainty with simple and choice RT tasks; Aim 2: To compare the effectiveness of hip AB-AD muscle power and strength training in reducing the rate of prospective falls over a one-year monitoring period post-training. Secondary analyses will assess the number of in-task falls, and the effect of muscle power versus strength training on changes in functional balance and mobility. Overall, the studies are expected to establish support for the superiority of velocity dependent power training over strength training on enhancing muscle performance, protective balance control and functional mobility outcomes, and for the prevention of falls among older adults.
- Conditions
- Accidental Falls
- Being tested
- Power Training, Strength Training
- Keywords
- Falls, Balance, Protective Stepping, Lateral Balance, Elderly, Power training
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Power TrainingOther
Hip abductor-adductor resistance exercises at maximum execution speed
Strength TrainingOther
Hip abductor-adductor resistance exercises at reduced execution speed
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Power Training | Experimental | Hip abductor-adductor resistance exercises at 75% maximum strength and maximum execution speed, 3, 1-hour training sessions per week for 12 weeks. Receives: Other: Power Training |
| Strength Training | Active comparator | Hip muscle abductor-adductor resistance exercises at maximum strength at reduced execution speed (2s concentric/3s eccentric), 3, 1-hour training sessions per week for 12 weeks. Receives: Other: Strength Training |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Incidence of single lateral steps
Change in number of single steps between pre and post tests
Measured: At 3 months
Secondary outcomes (2)
Hip muscle power
Change in maximum hip power between pre and post tests
Measured: At 3 months
Number of Falls
Total number of falls reported at 1 year follow up.
Measured: 12 months
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted6 Nov 2018
- Study start16 Sep 2019
- Primary completion10 Jan 2026
- Study completion10 Jan 2026
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Accidental FallsStudies 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
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Factorial
- Model description
- The investigators will compare changes in protective stepping, hip abduction and adduction muscle power and neuromuscular activation, balance and mobility function, and number of prospective falls between power and strength training groups.
- Masking
- Double blind
- Who is masked
- Investigator, Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 97 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Maryland, Baltimore
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- VA Maryland Health Care System
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Vicki Gray, University of Maryland, Baltimore
- Investigators
- Vicki L Gray, PhD, Principal investigator, University of Maryland, Baltimore
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT03731572
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- HP-00082488
- Acronym
- HIPS
- Status last verified
- Jan 2026
- First submitted
- 1 Oct 2018
- Last updated
- 26 Jan 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- 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 26 Jan 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Hip Muscle Power, Lateral Balance Function, and Falls in Aging
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT03731572
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- HIPS / HP-00082488
- Conditions
- Accidental Falls
- Keywords
- Falls, Balance, Protective Stepping, Lateral Balance, Elderly, Power training
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 97 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- University of Maryland, BaltimoreUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- VA Maryland Health Care System
- Study start
- 16 Sep 2019 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 10 Jan 2026 (actual)
- Study completion
- 10 Jan 2026 (actual)
- First posted
- 6 Nov 2018 (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.
Falls and their consequences are among the major problems in the medical care of older individuals. The long-term goal of this research is to develop a mechanistically based therapeutic intervention to enhance muscle power, weight-shifting capability, and lateral balance function through protective stepping to prevent falls. When human balance is challenged, protective stepping is a vital strategy for preventing a fall during activities of daily life. Many older people at risk for falls have particular difficulties with successfully stepping sideways as a protective response to loss of balance in the lateral direction. Age-related declines in lateral balance function result from neuromuscular and biomechanical limitations in hip abductor-adductor muscle power generation. This study will test whether these impairments can be improved with high-velocity hip muscle resistance power training that will be more effective than conventional resistance strength training.
Detailed description
Falls and their consequences are among the major problems in the medical care of older individuals. The long-term goal of this research is to develop a mechanistically based therapeutic intervention to enhance muscle power, weight-shifting capability, and lateral balance function through protective stepping to prevent falls. When human balance is challenged, protective stepping is a vital strategy for preventing a fall during activities of daily life. Many older people at risk for falls have particular difficulties with successfully stepping sideways as a protective response to loss of balance in the lateral direction. The investigators propose that age-related declines in lateral balance function through impaired weight transfer and protective stepping linked with falls, result from neuromuscular and biomechanical limitations in hip abductor-adductor (AB-AD) muscle power generation. Moreover, the investigators hypothesize that these balance and neuromotor impairments can be improved with high-velocity muscle resistance power training that will be more effective than conventional muscle resistance strength training. The specific aims are, Aim 1: To conduct a single blind, randomized, and controlled trial comparing the effects of 12 weeks of hip AB-AD muscle power training against strength training, and the rate of retention after 3 months of no training in community living older adults by determining a) the changes in neuromotor performance (kinetics, kinematics, muscle activation patterns) of pre-step weight transfer during waist-pull induced side stepping, and rapid voluntary reaction time (RT) sidestepping; and by b) the changes in isolated hip AB-AD muscle neuromotor performance. Weight shifting and stepping ability will be tested with different initial induced stepping limb load conditions, and by varying voluntary stepping limb selection certainty with simple and choice RT tasks; Aim 2: To compare the effectiveness of hip AB-AD muscle power and strength training in reducing the rate of prospective falls over a one-year monitoring period post-training. Secondary analyses will assess the number of in-task falls, and the effect of muscle power versus strength training on changes in functional balance and mobility. Overall, the studies are expected to establish support for the superiority of velocity dependent power training over strength training on enhancing muscle performance, protective balance control and functional mobility outcomes, and for the prevention of falls among older adults.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Factorial
- Masking
- Double blind (investigator, outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
- Model description
- The investigators will compare changes in protective stepping, hip abduction and adduction muscle power and neuromuscular activation, balance and mobility function, and number of prospective falls between power and strength training groups.
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Power Training | Experimental | Other: Power TrainingHip abductor-adductor resistance exercises at 75% maximum strength and maximum execution speed, 3, 1-hour training sessions per week for 12 weeks. |
| Strength Training | Active comparator | Other: Strength TrainingHip muscle abductor-adductor resistance exercises at maximum strength at reduced execution speed (2s concentric/3s eccentric), 3, 1-hour training sessions per week for 12 weeks. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 65 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- 65 years of age or older
- Functionally independent
- Living in the community
- Generally healthy
Key exclusion criteria (9 listed)
- Cognitive impairment (Mini Mental Score Exam less than 24)
- Sedative use
- Non-ambulatory
- Any clinically significant musculoskeletal impairment
- Any clinically significant neurological impairment
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Power TrainingHip abductor-adductor resistance exercises at maximum execution speed | Other | Power Training |
| Strength TrainingHip abductor-adductor resistance exercises at reduced execution speed | Other | Strength Training |
Primary outcome
Incidence of single lateral steps
Time frame: At 3 months
Change in number of single steps between pre and post tests
2 secondary outcomes
Hip muscle power
Time frame: At 3 months
Number of Falls
Time frame: 12 months
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 26 Jan 2026.
- 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.
Vicki L Gray, PhD principal investigator
University of Maryland, Baltimore
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Power Training and Strength Training in people with Accidental Falls, run by University of Maryland, Baltimore 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 4 inclusion and 9 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 26 Jan 2026. 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. 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?
Incidence of single lateral steps (time frame: At 3 months). 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 26 Jan 2026; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 31 Oct 2026.