An interventional study of Resistance Exercise in Muscle Damage, sponsored by Durham University. Suspended at 1 site in United Kingdom. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 35 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2021-11-16.
Sponsored by Durham University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Basic science
Purpose: To investigate the impact of exercise load on resistance exercise-induced muscle damage in untrained males and females.
Rationale: Unaccustomed resistance exercise can cause muscle damage, presenting as muscle soreness and reduced muscle function - such as loss of strength, power, and flexibility - for several days after the exercise bout. Therefore, individuals may require longer recovery periods before performing another exercise bout, and their performance may be impaired. Further, muscle soreness may reduce exercise compliance, particularly in novice individuals. Over time, this may compromise the gains in muscle mass and strength achieved through exercise training. Therefore, strategies to reduce the severity of exercise-induced muscle damage and/or to enhance post-exercise recovery processes are advantageous for exercising individuals.
One such strategy is to perform resistance exercise with lighter loads, i.e. \<70% one repetition maximum (1RM). Low-load resistance training has shown to induce comparable gains in muscle mass and strength to high-load (≥70% 1RM), while being perceptively less exerting. Low-load resistance exercise may place less mechanical stress on muscle fibres and accordingly, its impact on muscle damage has been investigated. While several studies have reported less severe muscle damage, muscle soreness, and functional impairments with low-load resistance exercise compared to high-load, others have found no differences. Further, there is a lack of studies conducted solely in females or comparing between sexes. It has been suggested that males and females respond differently to muscle damage, and therefore, this research aims to provide a sex comparison in the muscle damage response to an acute bout of resistance exercise performed with low or high loads.
Therefore, 40 healthy, young (18-35 years) adults (20 males, 20 females) will be recruited to participate in this randomised controlled trial. Maximal leg strength and body composition (by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry; DXA) will be conducted at baseline. In females, all primary outcome measures will be obtained during the late follicular phase of the menstrual cycle. Participants will then be randomised to a low-load (30% 1RM) or high-load (80% 1RM) exercise condition.
Three weeks later, participants will complete a resistance exercise session at their allocated intensity on leg extension and leg curl machines to induce muscle damage. Various measures of muscle damage (blood biomarkers, muscle soreness, flexibility, and swelling) will be obtained before, immediately after, and 24, 48, 72, and 168 h after the exercise protocol. The maximal strength test will be repeated 72 and 168 h after the exercise. Participants' habitual activity and dietary intake will be monitored and controlled throughout the study period.
Expected outcome: It is expected that the resistance exercise protocol will induce muscle damage, which will be less severe in the low-load exercise condition. It cannot be ascertained whether males and females will have the same responses to the exercise.
Durham University is the lead sponsor of 4 studies on the registry; 1 is open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Exclusion Criteria:
Acute resistance exercise performed at 30% 1RM
Other: Resistance Exercise
Acute resistance exercise performed at 80% 1RM
Other: Resistance Exercise
Acute leg-based resistance exercise bout (3 sets performed to volitional failure on leg extension and leg curl machines)
Maximal Voluntary Contraction at baseline
One-repetition maximum (1RM) test: leg extension and leg curl machines
Time frame: Baseline
Change from baseline Maximal Voluntary Contraction at 72-hours post-exercise
One-repetition maximum (1RM) test: leg extension and leg curl machines
Time frame: 72-hours after the exercise bout
Change from baseline Maximal Voluntary Contraction at 168-hours post-exercise
One-repetition maximum (1RM) test: leg extension and leg curl machines
Time frame: 168-hours after the exercise bout
Creatine kinase concentration at baseline
Serum concentration of creatine kinase from venous blood sampling
Time frame: Immediately pre-exercise
Change from baseline in Creatine Kinase concentration immediately post-exercise
Serum concentration of creatine kinase from venous blood sampling
Time frame: Immediately after the exercise bout
Change from baseline in Creatine Kinase concentration at 24-hours post-exercise
Serum concentration of creatine kinase from venous blood sampling
Time frame: 24-hours after the exercise bout
Change from baseline in Creatine Kinase concentration at 48-hours post-exercise
Serum concentration of creatine kinase from venous blood sampling
Time frame: 48-hours after the exercise bout
Change from baseline in Creatine Kinase concentration at 72-hours post-exercise
Serum concentration of creatine kinase from venous blood sampling
Time frame: 72-hours after the exercise bout
Change from baseline in Creatine Kinase concentration at 168-hours post-exercise
Serum concentration of creatine kinase from venous blood sampling
Time frame: 168-hours after the exercise bout
Interleukin-6 concentration at baseline
Serum concentration of Interleukin-6 from venous blood sampling
Time frame: Immediately pre-exercise
Change from baseline in Interleukin-6 concentration immediately post-exercise
Serum concentration of Interleukin-6 from venous blood sampling
Time frame: Immediately after the exercise bout
Change from baseline in Interleukin-6 concentration at 24-hours post-exercise
Serum concentration of Interleukin-6 from venous blood sampling
Time frame: 24-hours after the exercise bout
Change from baseline in Interleukin-6 concentration at 48-hours post-exercise
Serum concentration of Interleukin-6 from venous blood sampling
Time frame: 48-hours after the exercise bout
Change from baseline in Interleukin-6 concentration at 72-hours post-exercise
Serum concentration of Interleukin-6 from venous blood sampling
Time frame: 72-hours after the exercise bout
Change from baseline in Interleukin-6 concentration at 168-hours post-exercise
Serum concentration of Interleukin-6 from venous blood sampling
Time frame: 168-hours after the exercise bout
Muscle soreness (pressure algometry) at baseline
Self-perceived rating of muscle soreness with use of pressure algometry
Time frame: Immediately pre-exercise
Change in muscle soreness (pressure algometry) immediately post-exercise
Self-perceived rating of muscle soreness with use of pressure algometry
Time frame: Immediately after the exercise bout
Change in muscle soreness (pressure algometry) at 24-hours post-exercise
Self-perceived rating of muscle soreness with use of pressure algometry
Time frame: 24-hours after the exercise bout
Change in muscle soreness (pressure algometry) at 48-hours post-exercise
Self-perceived rating of muscle soreness with use of pressure algometry
Time frame: 48-hours after the exercise bout
Change in muscle soreness (pressure algometry) at 72-hours post-exercise
Self-perceived rating of muscle soreness with use of pressure algometry
Time frame: 72-hours after the exercise bout
Change in muscle soreness (pressure algometry) at 168-hours post-exercise
Self-perceived rating of muscle soreness with use of pressure algometry
Time frame: 168-hours after the exercise bout
Muscle soreness (visual analogue scale, VAS) at baseline
Self-perceived rating of muscle soreness while performing a bodyweight squat with use of a visual analogue scale (0 - not sore at all, 10 - extremely sore)
Time frame: Immediately pre-exercise
Change in muscle soreness (visual analogue scale, VAS) immediately post-exercise
Self-perceived rating of muscle soreness while performing a bodyweight squat with use of a visual analogue scale (0 - not sore at all, 10 - extremely sore)
Time frame: Immediately after the exercise bout
Change in muscle soreness (visual analogue scale, VAS) at 24-hours post-exercise
Self-perceived rating of muscle soreness while performing a bodyweight squat with use of a visual analogue scale (0 - not sore at all, 10 - extremely sore)
Time frame: 24-hours after the exercise bout
Change in muscle soreness (visual analogue scale, VAS) at 48-hours post-exercise
Self-perceived rating of muscle soreness while performing a bodyweight squat with use of a visual analogue scale (0 - not sore at all, 10 - extremely sore)
Time frame: 48-hours after the exercise bout
Change in muscle soreness (visual analogue scale, VAS) at 72-hours post-exercise
Self-perceived rating of muscle soreness while performing a bodyweight squat with use of a visual analogue scale (0 - not sore at all, 10 - extremely sore)
Time frame: 72-hours after the exercise bout
Change in muscle soreness (visual analogue scale, VAS) at 168-hours post-exercise
Self-perceived rating of muscle soreness while performing a bodyweight squat with use of a visual analogue scale (0 - not sore at all, 10 - extremely sore)
Time frame: 168-hours after the exercise bout
Range of motion at baseline
Flexibility of the exercised limb as determined by goniometry
Time frame: Immediately pre-exercise
Change in range of motion immediately post-exercise
Flexibility of the exercised limb as determined by goniometry
Time frame: Immediately after the exercise bout
Change in range of motion at 24-hours post-exercise
Flexibility of the exercised limb as determined by goniometry
Time frame: 24-hours after the exercise bout
Change in range of motion at 48-hours post-exercise
Flexibility of the exercised limb as determined by goniometry
Time frame: 48-hours after the exercise bout
Change in range of motion at 72-hours post-exercise
Flexibility of the exercised limb as determined by goniometry
Time frame: 72-hours after the exercise bout
Change in range of motion at 168-hours post-exercise
Flexibility of the exercised limb as determined by goniometry
Time frame: 168-hours after the exercise bout
Limb circumference at baseline
Measure of leg circumference with use of standard anthropometric tape to indicate muscle swelling
Time frame: Immediately pre-exercise
Change in limb circumference immediately post-exercise
Measure of leg circumference with use of standard anthropometric tape to indicate muscle swelling
Time frame: Immediately after the exercise bout
Change in limb circumference at 24-hours post-exercise
Measure of leg circumference with use of standard anthropometric tape to indicate muscle swelling
Time frame: 24-hours after the exercise bout
Change in limb circumference at 48-hours post-exercise
Measure of leg circumference with use of standard anthropometric tape to indicate muscle swelling
Time frame: 48-hours after the exercise bout
Change in limb circumference at 72-hours post-exercise
Measure of leg circumference with use of standard anthropometric tape to indicate muscle swelling
Time frame: 72-hours after the exercise bout
Change in limb circumference at 168-hours post-exercise
Measure of leg circumference with use of standard anthropometric tape to indicate muscle swelling
Time frame: 168-hours after the exercise bout
This study is suspended, as verified in Nov 2021. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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Durham University