Muscle HypertrophyNCT03991117
Lower and Higher Load Resistance Exercise Protocols: Acute Muscle Activation and Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy
A study testing resistance exercise in people with Muscle Hypertrophy and Muscle Fibre Activation, run by McMaster University.
Trial summary
How much weight an individual lifts per workout does not dictate the relative increase in muscle size the individual gains following weeks of training, which is contrary to current strength training dogma. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 30 years, men onlyHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Muscle Hypertrophy, Muscle Fibre Activation
- What is being tested?
- resistance exercise
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 10 participants
- Where
- No sites listed yet
- Study dates
- 4 Jan 2016to 1 Mar 2016
- 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 30 years
- Men only
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- healthy
- male
- 18-30 years of age
Who cannot join
- Have any acute or chronic illness such as cardiac, pulmonary, liver, or kidney abnormalities, uncontrolled hypertension, insulin- or non-insulin dependent diabetes or other metabolic disorders-all ascertained through a medical history screening questionnaire
- Experience arthritic conditions
- Smoke tobacco products
- Consume any analgesic or anti-inflammatory drug(s), prescription or non-prescription, chronically
- Have a history of neuromuscular complications
- Are on any medications known to affect protein metabolism (i.e. corticosteroids, non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, or prescription strength acne medications).
- Have an extensive history of RE training in the year prior to study entry.
About this study
Official title: Muscle Fibre Activation is Unaffected by Load and Repetition Duration When Resistance Exercise is Performed to Task Failure
How much weight an individual lifts per workout does not dictate the relative increase in muscle size the individual gains following weeks of training, which is contrary to current strength training dogma. Specifically, researchers have concluded that so long as an individual performs resistance exercise with maximum effort, it is not necessary to lift with relatively heavy loads. However, other laboratories, on the basis of surface electromyography measurements, have challenged the thesis that lighter loads can result in the hypertrophy of larger, type II muscle fibres. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to combine surface electromyography measurements with direct measurements of muscle fibre activation to see if muscle fibre activation was truly dependent on load. The investigators hypothesized that all muscle fibres would be activated when the resistance exercise was performed with maximal effort.
Read the detailed description
PROCEDURES INVOLVED IN THE RESEARCH
The total time commitment of this study will be ~7 hours. Each participant's first visit (familiarization) will include an interview through where the researchers will determine if there are any reasons that the participant cannot take part in the study. The researchers will explain the study protocol and, upon the participant's consent, the investigators will obtain the participant's knee extension maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) on a dynamometer (Biodex, Shirley, USA) and a 1 repetition-maximum (RM) test on a knee extension machine. Following that, the investigators will determine the next two dates (trial days) in which the participant will come in.
The participant will be asked to come in fasted on two separate trial days, each separated by two weeks, after the participant's familiarization visit. The participant will be required to avoid physical activity 48 hours before each of the three visits. There are four conditions in this study, each varying in relative load and speed of contraction. The participant will complete two conditions on each trial day, one with each leg. The conditions include: 80%RM Normal (80N; 1 eccentric: 1 pause: 1 concentric), 80% Slow (80S; 3:1:3), 30% Normal (30N; 1:1:1) and 30% Slow (30S; 3:1:3). Each condition will include three sets to voluntary failure on a knee extension machine. Before and after each set the participant will perform three MVCs on the dynamometer identical to what the participant did on the familiarization day. The investigators will record the participant's rating of perceived exertion and effort via the Borg scale and electromyography (EMG), respectively. The participant will have one biopsy taken pre-training and two, one per condition/leg, one hour post-training.
The REB Project Number for this study is: 802
- Conditions
- Muscle Hypertrophy, Muscle Fibre Activation
- Being tested
- resistance exercise
- Keywords
- muscle fibre activation, electromyography
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
resistance exerciseBehavioural
unilateral knee extensions until fatigue with varying load and speeds of contraction
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| 80 %1RM, Regular Tempo | Experimental | Participants performed three sets of unilateral knee extension with a load that was 80 % of their one-repetition maximum (1RM) at a tempo of three seconds per repetition. Receives: Behavioral: resistance exercise |
| 80 %1RM, Slow Tempo | Experimental | Participants performed three sets of unilateral knee extension with a load that was 80 % of their one-repetition maximum (1RM) at a tempo of seven seconds per repetition. Receives: Behavioral: resistance exercise |
| 30 %1RM, Regular Tempo | Experimental | Participants performed three sets of unilateral knee extension with a load that was 30 % of their one-repetition maximum (1RM) at a tempo of three seconds per repetition. Receives: Behavioral: resistance exercise |
| 30 %1RM, Slow Tempo | Experimental | Participants performed three sets of unilateral knee extension with a load that was 30 % of their one-repetition maximum (1RM) at a tempo of seven seconds per repetition. Receives: Behavioral: resistance exercise |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Concentration of glycogen in muscle fibres
Histochemical assessment of muscle glycogen via muscle biopsies
Measured: three weeks
Amplitude of electrical activity above the quadriceps muscles
Surface electromyography assessment via electrodes during the unilateral resistance exercise
Measured: three weeks
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted19 Jun 2019
- Study start4 Jan 2016
- Primary completion1 Mar 2016
- Study completion1 Mar 2016
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Muscle HypertrophyStudies 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
- Model description
- Each individual performed four bouts of resistance exercise that varied in load and speed of contraction on two separate days (one condition each leg per visit).
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 10 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- McMaster University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Stuart Phillips, McMaster University
- Investigators
- Stuart Phillips, PhD, Principal investigator, McMaster University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT03991117
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- HIREB 0802
- Status last verified
- Jun 2019
- First submitted
- 17 Jun 2019
- Last updated
- 19 Jun 2019
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No: No individual participant data will be made available to other researchers.
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 19 Jun 2019. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Muscle Fibre Activation is Unaffected by Load and Repetition Duration When Resistance Exercise is Performed to Task Failure
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT03991117
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- HIREB 0802
- Conditions
- Muscle Hypertrophy, Muscle Fibre Activation
- Keywords
- muscle fibre activation, electromyography
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 10 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- McMaster UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 4 Jan 2016 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 1 Mar 2016 (actual)
- Study completion
- 1 Mar 2016 (actual)
- First posted
- 19 Jun 2019 (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.
How much weight an individual lifts per workout does not dictate the relative increase in muscle size the individual gains following weeks of training, which is contrary to current strength training dogma. Specifically, researchers have concluded that so long as an individual performs resistance exercise with maximum effort, it is not necessary to lift with relatively heavy loads. However, other laboratories, on the basis of surface electromyography measurements, have challenged the thesis that lighter loads can result in the hypertrophy of larger, type II muscle fibres. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to combine surface electromyography measurements with direct measurements of muscle fibre activation to see if muscle fibre activation was truly dependent on load. The investigators hypothesized that all muscle fibres would be activated when the resistance exercise was performed with maximal effort.
Detailed description
PROCEDURES INVOLVED IN THE RESEARCH
The total time commitment of this study will be ~7 hours. Each participant's first visit (familiarization) will include an interview through where the researchers will determine if there are any reasons that the participant cannot take part in the study. The researchers will explain the study protocol and, upon the participant's consent, the investigators will obtain the participant's knee extension maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) on a dynamometer (Biodex, Shirley, USA) and a 1 repetition-maximum (RM) test on a knee extension machine. Following that, the investigators will determine the next two dates (trial days) in which the participant will come in.
The participant will be asked to come in fasted on two separate trial days, each separated by two weeks, after the participant's familiarization visit. The participant will be required to avoid physical activity 48 hours before each of the three visits. There are four conditions in this study, each varying in relative load and speed of contraction. The participant will complete two conditions on each trial day, one with each leg. The conditions include: 80%RM Normal (80N; 1 eccentric: 1 pause: 1 concentric), 80% Slow (80S; 3:1:3), 30% Normal (30N; 1:1:1) and 30% Slow (30S; 3:1:3). Each condition will include three sets to voluntary failure on a knee extension machine. Before and after each set the participant will perform three MVCs on the dynamometer identical to what the participant did on the familiarization day. The investigators will record the participant's rating of perceived exertion and effort via the Borg scale and electromyography (EMG), respectively. The participant will have one biopsy taken pre-training and two, one per condition/leg, one hour post-training.
The REB Project Number for this study is: 802
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Crossover
- Masking
- Single blind (outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 4
- Model description
- Each individual performed four bouts of resistance exercise that varied in load and speed of contraction on two separate days (one condition each leg per visit).
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| 80 %1RM, Regular Tempo | Experimental | Behavioral: resistance exerciseParticipants performed three sets of unilateral knee extension with a load that was 80 % of their one-repetition maximum (1RM) at a tempo of three seconds per repetition. |
| 80 %1RM, Slow Tempo | Experimental | Behavioral: resistance exerciseParticipants performed three sets of unilateral knee extension with a load that was 80 % of their one-repetition maximum (1RM) at a tempo of seven seconds per repetition. |
| 30 %1RM, Regular Tempo | Experimental | Behavioral: resistance exerciseParticipants performed three sets of unilateral knee extension with a load that was 30 % of their one-repetition maximum (1RM) at a tempo of three seconds per repetition. |
| 30 %1RM, Slow Tempo | Experimental | Behavioral: resistance exerciseParticipants performed three sets of unilateral knee extension with a load that was 30 % of their one-repetition maximum (1RM) at a tempo of seven seconds per repetition. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 30 years
- Sex
- Male only
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (3 listed)
- healthy
- male
- 18-30 years of age
Key exclusion criteria (7 listed)
- Have any acute or chronic illness such as cardiac, pulmonary, liver, or kidney abnormalities, uncontrolled hypertension, insulin- or non-insulin dependent diabetes or other metabolic disorders-all ascertained through a medical history screening questionnaire
- Experience arthritic conditions
- Smoke tobacco products
- Consume any analgesic or anti-inflammatory drug(s), prescription or non-prescription, chronically
- Have a history of neuromuscular complications
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 |
|---|---|---|
| resistance exerciseunilateral knee extensions until fatigue with varying load and speeds of contraction | Behavioural | 30 %1RM, Regular Tempo, 30 %1RM, Slow Tempo, 80 %1RM, Regular Tempo, 80 %1RM, Slow Tempo |
Primary outcome
Concentration of glycogen in muscle fibres
Time frame: three weeks
Histochemical assessment of muscle glycogen via muscle biopsies
Amplitude of electrical activity above the quadriceps muscles
Time frame: three weeks
Surface electromyography assessment via electrodes during the unilateral resistance exercise
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 19 Jun 2019.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No. No individual participant data will be made available to other researchers.
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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.
Stuart Phillips, PhD principal investigator
McMaster University
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing resistance exercise in people with Muscle Hypertrophy and Muscle Fibre Activation, run by McMaster University.
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 7 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 19 Jun 2019. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
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?
Concentration of glycogen in muscle fibres (time frame: three weeks). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. 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 19 Jun 2019.