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AzTrials

ExerciseStORMMNCT05729841

Study of Ocean Rowing Muscle Metabolism. 1. What Effect Does Rowing 3000 Miles Across Atlantic Ocean Have on Calf Muscle Size? 2. In the Catabolic State of Extreme Endurance, is Muscle Loss Uniform or Can the Human Body Select Depending on Load and Nutrient Availability?

An observational study of Exercise, run by University of Exeter at 1 site in United Kingdom.

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

Little is known on the human adaptation to extreme endurance and with the increasing popularity in long duration events we seek to provide insight into the physiological and metabolic adaptation processes of ocean rowing. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Exercise
What is being tested?
Ocean row
How many people
60 participants
Where
1 siteUnited Kingdom
Study dates
28 Nov 2020to 1 Apr 2024
Phase
Observational
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 years and older
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Adult, Older adult

Study population: Healthy, fit and active males and females aged 18 and over

Who may be able to join

  • Taking part in the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge 2020 and 2021

Who cannot join

  • lower limb amputee musculoskeletal, metabolic, neurological disease pacemaker fitted

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United Kingdom1 site
  • University of Exeter

    Exeter, Devon, EX2 4TH

Other trials in United Kingdom

About this study

Official title: StORMM 1:What Effect Does Rowing 3000 Miles Across Atlantic Ocean Have on Calf Muscle Size? StORMM 2. In the Catabolic State of Extreme Endurance, is Muscle Loss Uniform or Can the Human Body Select Depending on Load and Nutrient Availability?

Little is known on the human adaptation to extreme endurance and with the increasing popularity in long duration events we seek to provide insight into the physiological and metabolic adaptation processes of ocean rowing.

Rowing 12-18 hours a day will illicit a high energy expenditure and anecdotally people have lost large amounts of body weight and variable amounts of muscle mass, particularly in the lower limbs. This may provide insights and a potential new model to to study muscle unloading.

Read the detailed description

Previous research has investigated factors determining muscle loss through bed rest and limb immobilisation. These methods are limited in that some do not include inflammation or changes in nutrition, which have been shown to be key drivers of muscle loss. These studies aim to investigate a potentially new model of muscle unloading.

Ocean rowing is an ultra-endurance sport where people spend 35-90 days at sea. Usually rowing for a minimum of 12 hours a day, in a 2-hour on/off shift pattern with daily food rations. Rowers lose body and muscle mass. There is likely to be low-grade inflammation, nutritional deficit, fatigue and rowers do not stand up for the entire crossing. Part 1 aims to quantify this muscle loss by inviting rowers in the annual 3000 mile Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge 2020 to take part. While part 2 aims to continue the work by measuring upper and core muscles as well as lower limb muscles from the first study with the aim of understanding how the body allocates resources in a hypocaloric, high energy expenditure environment.

Muscle mass of the lower limbs of the rowers will be measured with ultrasound, as well as body mass, body composition, energy expenditure and nutritional intake, the week before the race and immediately after arrival in Antigua. As well as adding novel insights to the knowledge base around factors affecting ultra endurance performance, the results will then be used to inform future intervention studies aimed at preventing muscle loss.

Conditions
Exercise
Being tested
Ocean row
Keywords
ocean rowing, ultra endurance, doubly labelled water
Medical subject headings
Motor Activity

What participants receive

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

  • Ocean rowOther

    the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge annual ocean rowing race.

What is being measured

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

  1. Energy Expenditure

    Amount of kcals expended per day

    Measured: 5-7 days in final week of row

  2. Calf Muscle thickness

    Pre - Post measurements of calf muscle thickness

    Measured: 5-7 weeks

  3. Energy Intake

    Amount of kcals consumed per day

    Measured: 5-7 days in final week of row

Secondary outcomes (2)
  1. Difference in rate of muscle thickness loss between males and females

    Absolute and relative differences in energy balance, body mass loss or muscle loss

    Measured: 5-7 weeks

  2. Difference in rate of muscle thickness loss in older vs younger rowers

    Are there any age-related differences in energy balance, body mass loss or muscle loss

    Measured: 5-7 weeks

Timeline

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

  1. First posted15 Feb 2023
  2. Study start28 Nov 2020
  3. Primary completion16 Feb 2022
  4. Study completion1 Apr 2024

Resources

More details

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

Study design
Study type
Observational
Observational model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrolment
60 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT05729841
Sponsor's protocol ID
201021-A-08
Acronym
StORMM
Status last verified
May 2024
First submitted
16 Jan 2023
Last updated
21 May 2024
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No: no plan to share IPD

Publications

  • Holsgrove-West RK, Revuelta Iniesta R, Abdelrahman DR, Murton AJ, Wall BT, Stephens FB. Maximal sustainable energy intake during transatlantic ocean rowing is insufficient for total energy expenditure and skeletal muscle mass maintenance. Exp Physiol. 2024 Feb;109(2):227-239. doi: 10.1113/EP091319. Epub 2023 Nov 15.

    PubMed 37966359

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

An observational study of Exercise, run by University of Exeter 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 1 inclusion and 1 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 21 May 2024. 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?

Energy Expenditure (time frame: 5-7 days in final week of row). The study lists 3 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 NCT05729841, 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 21 May 2024.

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