Performance Enhancing Product UseNCT06464120
Investigating the Post-Activation Performance Enhancement Effects on Skeletal Muscles Under Varied Loading Conditions
A study testing Increasing load strength training and Constant load strength training in people with Performance Enhancing Product Use, run by Universiti Putra Malaysia at 1 site in China.
Trial summary
With the advancement of sports science, Post-Activation Potentiation (PAP) has become a focal point of research, garnering significant attention for its underlying physiological mechanisms. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 19 to 24 years, men onlyHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Performance Enhancing Product Use
- What is being tested?
- Increasing load strength training and Constant load strength training
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 14 participants
- Where
- 1 siteChina
- Study dates
- 18 Jul 2024to 25 Jul 2024
- 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 19 to 24 years
- Men only
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- Voluntary participation in the research study with prior experience in weighted deep squat exercises; (2) No intake of caffeine within 3 hours before testing and no high-intensity resistance exercises for the lower limbs within the past 24 hours; (3) No lower limb joint injuries (open or closed), no cardiovascular diseases, no skin allergies, and no symptoms of hernia in the last 12 months; (4) Maintenance of regular diet and sleep patterns during the study, and exclusion from any additional strength training activities apart from normal daily life.
Who cannot join
- Individuals with a history of lower limb joint injuries; (2) Individuals with cardiovascular diseases, skin allergies, hernia, or any other contraindications; (3) Individuals unwilling to participate in the experiment.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: Investigating the Post-Activation Performance Enhancement Effects on Strength-trained Athletes Under Varied Loading Conditions: A Time-domain Features Perspective
With the advancement of sports science, Post-Activation Potentiation (PAP) has become a focal point of research, garnering significant attention for its underlying physiological mechanisms. Current studies suggest three primary mechanisms: 1) phosphorylation of myosin regulatory light chains (RLCs); 2) increased recruitment of high-threshold motor units; and 3) a reduction in sarcomere length heterogeneity within muscle fibers due to pre-stimulation (Liu \& Li, 2017). These mechanisms collectively contribute to an effect known as Post-Activation Performance Enhancement (PAPE), which significantly enhances muscle strength and explosiveness shortly after activation (Blazevich \& Babault, 2019).
During the activation process of motor units with increasing loads, low-threshold motor units are recruited first, followed by high-threshold motor units. As the load increases, the root mean square (RMS) value increases linearly, further promoting the overlap of motor unit potentials and the rise in RMS values. This overlap in activation timing among adjacent motor units results in greater overall muscle force output (Liu, 2008; Tian, 2009). The significance of this lies in the fact that as the degree of muscle activation increases, especially under incremental loads, the muscle's ability to adapt to subsequent strength or explosive tasks may be enhanced.
In competitive sports, optimizing the relationship between warm-up and performance is crucial. Research indicates that the duration of PAPE varies with individual differences, training type, intensity, and recovery intervals. The characteristics of the PAPE effect also differ. Additionally, following constant loads, the enhancement and decay rates of performance in PAPE show varying rates at different times, and these rates do not exhibit a symmetrical linear change in absolute value (Liang, M 2020; Guo, W et al. 2018; Liu, R and Li, Q. 2017). The competition pace in sports demands precise modulation of performance enhancement rates after activation, and athletes can leverage these characteristics by selecting appropriate loading forms to trigger PAPE at critical moments in competition. To explore the enhancement or decay rates of performance over different time domains, our research team designed a protocol consisting of incremental loads.
Read the detailed description
First, participants underwent a squat 1-RM test using the NSCA testing protocol. The induction exercise was barbell-loaded squats. In the constant load group, the stimulation intensity was set at 90% of the 1-RM, with one set of four repetitions of barbell half-squat jumps . In the incremental load group, the stimulation intensities were set at 5RM, 4RM, 3RM, and 2RM, with one set of one repetition of barbell half-squat jumps for each load intensity. Both the 1-RM test and squat induction exercises were conducted using a Smith machine, and protective personnel were present on both sides. The testing movement involved static half-squat jumps that aimed to enhance the stability of the test and reduce interference from arm swinging. The static half-squat jump required participants to stand with their feet shoulder-width apart on the force plate, hands on hips, and knees flexed to a semi-movement range, and they had to maintain the position for one to two seconds. Following this, participants exerted maximal effort to jump upward (with no visually noticeable downward squatting during takeoff) before naturally descending and maintaining the position for another one to two seconds. Throughout the entire process, both feet were to remain within the force plate area.
Experimental procedure The participants began with a 10-minute slow jog and dynamic lower-limb stretches. As a baseline, the participants' dynamic data for unloaded static half-squat jumps were collected after a 5-minute rest. Following another 5-minute rest, the constant load group underwent one set of four half-squat jump inductions at an intensity of 90% 1-RM. The incremental load group underwent inductions at each load intensity, with one set of barbell half-squat jump exercises for each intensity. The participants received verbal cues and encouragement for each repetition. Dynamic data for static half-squat jumps were collected at 15 seconds, 3 minutes, 6 minutes, 9 minutes, and 12 minutes after the end of each exercise session. At each time point, two valid repetitions were collected, with verbal cues and encouragement provided to the participants for each repetition. Each set of two half-squat jumps did not exceed 10 seconds. The interval between static half-squat jump testing and 1-RM testing was greater than 48 hours .
- Conditions
- Performance Enhancing Product Use
- Being tested
- Increasing load strength training, Constant load strength training
- Keywords
- Post-activation performance enhancement, strength training, take-off height, round reaction force, peak power
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Increasing load strength trainingOther
The Smith machine was used to intervene with athletes by employing an incremental load approach.
Constant load strength trainingOther
The Smith machine was used to intervene with athletes by employing a constant load approach.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Incremental load training group | Experimental | This training plan is a single training，The load intensity of strength training for athletes :（5,4,3）RM×1 time ×1set for half squat jump Receives: Other: Increasing load strength training |
| Constant load training group | Experimental | This training plan is a single training，This training plan is a single training，Constant load of strength training for athletes :90%1RM×3 time ×1set for half squat jump Receives: Other: Constant load strength training |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Ground reaction force
The ground reaction force of the lower limbs during the half squat jump was measured by the force platform.
Measured: 30 seconds, 3 minutes, 6 minutes, 9 minutes, 12 minutes after intervention and before intervention
Peak Power
Athletes measured the peak power of the lower limbs in the half squat jump using a force platform
Measured: 30 seconds, 3 minutes, 6 minutes, 9 minutes, 12 minutes after intervention and before intervention
Height
The athlete uses a 3D motion capture device to measure the height of the highest point of the half squat jump
Measured: 30 seconds, 3 minutes, 6 minutes, 9 minutes, 12 minutes after intervention and before intervention
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted18 Jun 2024
- Study start18 Jul 2024
- Primary completion20 Jul 2024
- Study completion25 Jul 2024
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Performance Enhancing Product UseStudies 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
- Sequential
- Model description
- The experimental group was randomly assigned to receive strength training with increasing loads for post-activation enhancement intervention, while the control group received strength training with constant loads.
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 14 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Universiti Putra Malaysia
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Rong Wenchao, Universiti Putra Malaysia
- Investigators
- wenchao Rong, phd, Principal investigator, Universiti Putra Malaysia
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06464120
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 2024Y002
- Status last verified
- Jul 2024
- First submitted
- 12 Jun 2024
- Last updated
- 29 Jul 2024
- Results posted
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No: I won't share it, until I published this paper
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 29 Jul 2024. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Investigating the Post-Activation Performance Enhancement Effects on Strength-trained Athletes Under Varied Loading Conditions: A Time-domain Features Perspective
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06464120
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 2024Y002
- Conditions
- Performance Enhancing Product Use
- Keywords
- Post-activation performance enhancement, strength training, take-off height, round reaction force, peak power
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 14 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Universiti Putra MalaysiaUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 18 Jul 2024 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 20 Jul 2024 (actual)
- Study completion
- 25 Jul 2024 (actual)
- First posted
- 18 Jun 2024 (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.
With the advancement of sports science, Post-Activation Potentiation (PAP) has become a focal point of research, garnering significant attention for its underlying physiological mechanisms. Current studies suggest three primary mechanisms: 1) phosphorylation of myosin regulatory light chains (RLCs); 2) increased recruitment of high-threshold motor units; and 3) a reduction in sarcomere length heterogeneity within muscle fibers due to pre-stimulation (Liu \& Li, 2017). These mechanisms collectively contribute to an effect known as Post-Activation Performance Enhancement (PAPE), which significantly enhances muscle strength and explosiveness shortly after activation (Blazevich \& Babault, 2019).
During the activation process of motor units with increasing loads, low-threshold motor units are recruited first, followed by high-threshold motor units. As the load increases, the root mean square (RMS) value increases linearly, further promoting the overlap of motor unit potentials and the rise in RMS values. This overlap in activation timing among adjacent motor units results in greater overall muscle force output (Liu, 2008; Tian, 2009). The significance of this lies in the fact that as the degree of muscle activation increases, especially under incremental loads, the muscle's ability to adapt to subsequent strength or explosive tasks may be enhanced.
In competitive sports, optimizing the relationship between warm-up and performance is crucial. Research indicates that the duration of PAPE varies with individual differences, training type, intensity, and recovery intervals. The characteristics of the PAPE effect also differ. Additionally, following constant loads, the enhancement and decay rates of performance in PAPE show varying rates at different times, and these rates do not exhibit a symmetrical linear change in absolute value (Liang, M 2020; Guo, W et al. 2018; Liu, R and Li, Q. 2017). The competition pace in sports demands precise modulation of performance enhancement rates after activation, and athletes can leverage these characteristics by selecting appropriate loading forms to trigger PAPE at critical moments in competition. To explore the enhancement or decay rates of performance over different time domains, our research team designed a protocol consisting of incremental loads.
Detailed description
First, participants underwent a squat 1-RM test using the NSCA testing protocol. The induction exercise was barbell-loaded squats. In the constant load group, the stimulation intensity was set at 90% of the 1-RM, with one set of four repetitions of barbell half-squat jumps . In the incremental load group, the stimulation intensities were set at 5RM, 4RM, 3RM, and 2RM, with one set of one repetition of barbell half-squat jumps for each load intensity. Both the 1-RM test and squat induction exercises were conducted using a Smith machine, and protective personnel were present on both sides. The testing movement involved static half-squat jumps that aimed to enhance the stability of the test and reduce interference from arm swinging. The static half-squat jump required participants to stand with their feet shoulder-width apart on the force plate, hands on hips, and knees flexed to a semi-movement range, and they had to maintain the position for one to two seconds. Following this, participants exerted maximal effort to jump upward (with no visually noticeable downward squatting during takeoff) before naturally descending and maintaining the position for another one to two seconds. Throughout the entire process, both feet were to remain within the force plate area.
Experimental procedure The participants began with a 10-minute slow jog and dynamic lower-limb stretches. As a baseline, the participants' dynamic data for unloaded static half-squat jumps were collected after a 5-minute rest. Following another 5-minute rest, the constant load group underwent one set of four half-squat jump inductions at an intensity of 90% 1-RM. The incremental load group underwent inductions at each load intensity, with one set of barbell half-squat jump exercises for each intensity. The participants received verbal cues and encouragement for each repetition. Dynamic data for static half-squat jumps were collected at 15 seconds, 3 minutes, 6 minutes, 9 minutes, and 12 minutes after the end of each exercise session. At each time point, two valid repetitions were collected, with verbal cues and encouragement provided to the participants for each repetition. Each set of two half-squat jumps did not exceed 10 seconds. The interval between static half-squat jump testing and 1-RM testing was greater than 48 hours .
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Sequential
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
- Model description
- The experimental group was randomly assigned to receive strength training with increasing loads for post-activation enhancement intervention, while the control group received strength training with constant loads.
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Incremental load training group | Experimental | Other: Increasing load strength trainingThis training plan is a single training，The load intensity of strength training for athletes :（5,4,3）RM×1 time ×1set for half squat jump |
| Constant load training group | Experimental | Other: Constant load strength trainingThis training plan is a single training，This training plan is a single training，Constant load of strength training for athletes :90%1RM×3 time ×1set for half squat jump |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 19 to 24 years
- Sex
- Male only
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Voluntary participation in the research study with prior experience in weighted deep squat exercises; (2) No intake of caffeine within 3 hours before testing and no high-intensity resistance exercises for the lower limbs within the past 24 hours; (3) No lower limb joint injuries (open or closed), no cardiovascular diseases, no skin allergies, and no symptoms of hernia in the last 12 months; (4) Maintenance of regular diet and sleep patterns during the study, and exclusion from any additional strength training activities apart from normal daily life.
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Individuals with a history of lower limb joint injuries; (2) Individuals with cardiovascular diseases, skin allergies, hernia, or any other contraindications; (3) Individuals unwilling to participate in the experiment.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Increasing load strength trainingThe Smith machine was used to intervene with athletes by employing an incremental load approach. | Other | Incremental load training group |
| Constant load strength trainingThe Smith machine was used to intervene with athletes by employing a constant load approach. | Other | Constant load training group |
Primary outcome
Ground reaction force
Time frame: 30 seconds, 3 minutes, 6 minutes, 9 minutes, 12 minutes after intervention and before intervention
The ground reaction force of the lower limbs during the half squat jump was measured by the force platform.
Peak Power
Time frame: 30 seconds, 3 minutes, 6 minutes, 9 minutes, 12 minutes after intervention and before intervention
Athletes measured the peak power of the lower limbs in the half squat jump using a force platform
Height
Time frame: 30 seconds, 3 minutes, 6 minutes, 9 minutes, 12 minutes after intervention and before intervention
The athlete uses a 3D motion capture device to measure the height of the highest point of the half squat jump
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 29 Jul 2024.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No. I won't share it, until I published this paper
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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.
wenchao Rong, phd principal investigator
Universiti Putra Malaysia
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Increasing load strength training and Constant load strength training in people with Performance Enhancing Product Use, run by Universiti Putra Malaysia at 1 site in China.
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 29 Jul 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 China. 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?
Ground reaction force (time frame: 30 seconds, 3 minutes, 6 minutes, 9 minutes, 12 minutes after intervention and before intervention). 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?
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 29 Jul 2024.