Exercise TrainingNCT06449716
Tailored Versus Traditional Resistance Exercise
A study testing 12-week progressive power-oriented resistance exercise program in people with Exercise Training, run by Universitaire Ziekenhuizen KU Leuven at 1 site in Belgium.
Trial summary
Preserving functional ability is crucial for healthy aging. Unfortunately, age-related decreases in muscle power often lead to declines in functional ability. As power is the product of force and velocity, decreases in power can originate from changes in muscle force, contraction velocity, or both, varying between… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 65 to 80 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Exercise Training
- What is being tested?
- 12-week progressive power-oriented resistance exercise program
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 80 participants
- Where
- 1 siteBelgium
- Study dates
- 20 May 2024to 4 Dec 2025
- Phase
- Interventional
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 to 80 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Community-dwelling adults
- 65-80 years old
Who cannot join
- Systematic engagement in resistance exercise during the past year
- Unstable cardiovascular disease, neuromuscular disease, acute infection or fever
- Recent surgery
- Lower-extremity injuries
- Low levels of functional ability (i.e., SPPB score ≤ 9)
- Cognitive malfunctioning (i.e., Mini-Mental State Examination < 24)
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
Belgium1 site
KU Leuven - Department of Movement Sciences
Leuven, Vlaams-Brabant, 3000
About this study
Official title: A Tailored Intervention to Prevent Age-Related Declines in Muscle Power and Functional Ability
Preserving functional ability is crucial for healthy aging. Unfortunately, age-related decreases in muscle power often lead to declines in functional ability. As power is the product of force and velocity, decreases in power can originate from changes in muscle force, contraction velocity, or both, varying between individuals. The primary method to prevent functional disability is power-based resistance training. Although training interventions are effective for most older adults, they do not induce substantial improvements in a subset of the population. These inconsistent outcomes may arise from neglecting the observed differences in the force-velocity (F-v) profiles between individuals. Therefore, this study provides a novel approach to resistance exercise, in which exercise dose is tailored according to the individual's F-v profile. The effectiveness of the tailored method will be assessed in a randomized control trial, comparing the effects of an individualized and a non-individualized 12-week training intervention on muscle power parameters and functional ability.
- Conditions
- Exercise Training
- Being tested
- 12-week progressive power-oriented resistance exercise program
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
12-week progressive power-oriented resistance exercise programOther
2x/week, 35-45 min sessions, on leg press machine
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Individualized resistance exercise program | Experimental | Individualized exercise dose. Individuals with a velocity deficit only perform low-load exercises. Individuals with a force deficit only perform high-load exercises. Receives: Other: 12-week progressive power-oriented resistance exercise program |
| Non-individualized resistance exercise program | Active comparator | Non-individualized exercise dose. All individuals perform a combination of low-load and high-load resistance exercises, regardless of their deficit. Receives: Other: 12-week progressive power-oriented resistance exercise program |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Maximal force (F0)
Unilateral (dominant leg) maximal force production (N) on the pneumatic leg press device (Leg Press Air 400, Keiser, USA).
The test protocol consists of 2 sets of 1 repetition with increasing loads (5-10 kg increments), starting at 20% of body mass. When the participants fail to lift a certain load, the load will be decreased by 2.5-5 kg until their one repetition maximum (1-RM) is reached. The duration of the recovery time between sets will be based on the mean velocity in the preceding repetition, with longer rest periods after high-load, low-velocity attempts. Mean velocity of the best trial per load is used to estimate the individual F-v relationship through a linear equation. This F-v relationship will be used to examine the exercise-induced changes in maximal force.
Measured: Change from baseline in maximal force at 12 weeks
Maximal velocity (V0)
Unilateral (dominant leg) maximal velocity production (m/s) on the pneumatic leg press device (Leg Press Air 400, Keiser, USA).
The test protocol consists of 2 sets of 1 repetition with increasing loads (5-10 kg increments), starting at 20% of body mass. When the participants fail to lift a certain load, the load will be decreased by 2.5-5 kg until their one repetition maximum (1-RM) is reached. The duration of the recovery time between sets will be based on the mean velocity in the preceding repetition, with longer rest periods after high-load, low-velocity attempts. Mean velocity of the best trial per load is used to estimate the individual F-v relationship through a linear equation. This F-v relationship will be used to examine the exercise-induced changes in maximal velocity.
Measured: Change from baseline in maximal velocity at 12 weeks
Force-velocity slope
Unilateral (dominant leg) force-velocity (F-v) slope on the pneumatic leg press device (Leg Press Air 400, Keiser, USA). F-v slope = force (N) as a function of velocity (m/s).
The test protocol consists of 2 sets of 1 repetition with increasing loads (5-10 kg increments), starting at 20% of body mass. When the participants fail to lift a certain load, the load will be decreased by 2.5-5 kg until their one repetition maximum (1-RM) is reached. The duration of the recovery time between sets will be based on the mean velocity in the preceding repetition, with longer rest periods after high-load, low-velocity attempts. Mean velocity of the best trial per load is used to estimate the individual F-v relationship through a linear equation. This F-v relationship will be used to examine the exercise-induced changes in slope.
Measured: Change from baseline in F-v slope at 12 weeks
Maximal power (P0)
Unilateral (dominant leg) maximal power production (Watt) on the pneumatic leg press device (Leg Press Air 400, Keiser, USA).
The test protocol consists of 2 sets of 1 repetition with increasing loads (5-10 kg increments), starting at 20% of body mass. When the participants fail to lift a certain load, the load will be decreased by 2.5-5 kg until their one repetition maximum (1-RM) is reached. The duration of the recovery time between sets will be based on the mean velocity in the preceding repetition, with longer rest periods after high-load, low-velocity attempts. Mean velocity of the best trial per load is used to estimate the individual F-v relationship through a linear equation. This F-v relationship will be used to examine the exercise-induced changes in maximal power.
Measured: Change from baseline in maximal power at 12 weeks
Force at maximal power
Unilateral (dominant leg) force at maximal power production (N) on the pneumatic leg press device (Leg Press Air 400, Keiser, USA).
The test protocol consists of 2 sets of 1 repetition with increasing loads (5-10 kg increments), starting at 20% of body mass. When the participants fail to lift a certain load, the load will be decreased by 2.5-5 kg until their one repetition maximum (1-RM) is reached. The duration of the recovery time between sets will be based on the mean velocity in the preceding repetition, with longer rest periods after high-load, low-velocity attempts. Mean velocity of the best trial per load is used to estimate the individual F-v relationship through a linear equation. This F-v relationship will be used to examine the exercise-induced changes in force at maximal power.
Measured: Change from baseline in force at maximal power at 12 weeks
Velocity at maximal power
Unilateral (dominant leg) velocity at maximal power production (m/s) on the pneumatic leg press device (Leg Press Air 400, Keiser, USA).
The test protocol consists of 2 sets of 1 repetition with increasing loads (5-10 kg increments), starting at 20% of body mass. When the participants fail to lift a certain load, the load will be decreased by 2.5-5 kg until their one repetition maximum (1-RM) is reached. The duration of the recovery time between sets will be based on the mean velocity in the preceding repetition, with longer rest periods after high-load, low-velocity attempts. Mean velocity of the best trial per load is used to estimate the individual F-v relationship through a linear equation. This F-v relationship will be used to examine the exercise-induced changes in velocity at maximal power.
Measured: Change from baseline in velocity at maximal power at 12 weeks
Secondary outcomes (9)
Exercise adherence
Number of sessions attended as a percentage of total sessions planned
Measured: Total adherence over 12-week period
Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) score
Total score on the SPPB (min 0, max 12, higher scores indicate better performance)
Measured: Change from baseline in SPPB test score at 12 weeks
Gait speed
The average speed (m/s) to walk 10m as fast as possible
Measured: Change from baseline in gait speed at 12 weeks
Countermovement jump height
The jump height (cm) in a countermovement jump
Measured: Change from baseline in countermovement jump height at 12 weeks
Timed up and go
The time (s) needed to stand up from a chair, walk 3 m, turn, walk back and sit down again (as fast as possible)
Measured: Change from baseline in timed up and go time at 12 weeks
5-repetition sit-to-stand time
The time (s) needed to perform 5 sit-to-stand transitions
Measured: Change from baseline in sit-to-stand performance at 12 weeks
5-repetition sit-to-stand power
The power (watt) needed to perform 5 sit-to-stand transitions
Measured: Change from baseline in sit-to-stand performance at 12 weeks
Stair ascent time
The time (s) needed to ascend a flight of stairs
Measured: Change from baseline in stair climbing performance at 12 weeks
Stair ascent power
The power (Watt) needed to ascend a flight of stairs
Measured: Change from baseline in stair climbing performance at 12 weeks
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted10 Jun 2024
- Study start20 May 2024
- Primary completion4 Dec 2025
- Study completion4 Dec 2025
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Exercise TrainingStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Universitaire Ziekenhuizen KU LeuvenThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- 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
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 80 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Universitaire Ziekenhuizen KU Leuven
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Christophe Delecluse, Universitaire Ziekenhuizen KU Leuven
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06449716
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- S68434
- Status last verified
- Dec 2025
- First submitted
- 5 Mar 2024
- Last updated
- 17 Dec 2025
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No