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RecruitingNCT07378813Updated Feb 2, 2026

Low Versus High Load Training and Parkinson's Disease

An interventional study of Low-Load Resistance Training and High-Load Resistance Training in Activity, Motor, sponsored by University of Miami. Recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 50 Years to 85 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-02-02.

Sponsored by University of Miami · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment

From the registry’s dates

  • Started Jan 2026; still recruiting 8 months later.
Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
60
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
50 Years to 85 Years
Sex
All
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Study summary

This study will compare the effects of high-load resistance training to low-load resistance training, on measures of muscle strength and power and tests of daily performance in older adults with Parkinson's disease.

02

Conditions studied

  • Activity, Motor

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03

In context

Motor Activity

2,426 studies on the registry are indexed under Motor Activity; 1,161 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 60 is close to the median of 60 across 2,118 interventional studies indexed under Motor Activity.

Browse Motor Activity studies →

Lead sponsor

University of Miami is the lead sponsor of 820 studies on the registry; 161 are open to participants now.

Of its 111 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 93 (84%) have results posted.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
50 Years to 85 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

  • Parkinson's Disease Hoehn \& Yahr Stages 1-3
  • Able to walk 50m unassisted
  • Able to understand and communicate in English
  • A Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score above 18

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Uncontrolled cardiovascular or other neuromuscular disease that prevent participation in a training program
  • Any systemic inflammatory or autoimmune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, or other serious concomitant medical illness
  • Unresolved injury or surgery to the upper or lower limbs that prevents weight training.
05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
60 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Active comparator
    Low-Load Resistance Training

    Participants will receive low-load resistance training, twice per week for at least 24 sessions for up to 12 weeks.

    Behavioral: Low-Load Resistance Training

  • Active comparator
    High-Load Resistance Training

    Participants will receive high-load resistance training, twice per week for at least 24 sessions for up to 12 weeks.

    Behavioral: High-Load Resistance Training

Interventions

  • BehavioralLow-Load Resistance Training

    Participants will receive a total of twenty-four 45-minutes in-person training sessions, twice per week using three sets of eight repetitions per set. During training participants will be allowed 2-minute rests between sets. Exercises will include four upper-body exercises and two lower-body exercises.

  • BehavioralHigh-Load Resistance Training

    Participants will receive a total of twenty-four 45-minutes in-person training sessions, twice per week using four sets of eight repetitions per set. During training participants will be allowed 2-minute rests between sets. Exercises will include four upper-body exercises and two lower-body exercises.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Change in neuromuscular performance as measured by 1-repetition maximum (1RM)

    Maximal load that can be lifted in one repetition (1RM) will be assessed in both leg press and chest press exercises. The loads on the testing equipment will be increased across 5 to 7 testing repetitions. The persons 1RM will be the highest load the person can move through the range of motion of the exercise. There are no minimum or maximum scores for this test. The higher the 1RM the stronger the person is. The unit of measurement is kilograms.

    Time frame: [Time Frame: Baseline, 12 weeks]

  2. Change in neuromuscular performance as measured by Power Production

    This test measures the power a person can produce at maximal speed using loads of 20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, and 90% of 1RM for the chest press and leg press. Power shows how fast a person can do work. Unit of measure is Watts.

    Time frame: Baseline, 12 weeks

Secondary outcomes

  1. Change in the Speed of the Ten-Meter Walk Test.

    The ten-meter walk test will be used to assess gait velocity. The participants will be asked to walk at usual walking speed and as quickly as possible in a straight line on a 10-m course marked at 0, 2, 8 and 10 m. On verbal command, participants will start on the 0-m mark and stop when the 10-m mark is crossed. The total time to ambulate from the 2-m mark to the 8-m mark (6 m total) will be timed to the hundredth of a second. Two trials will be performed at each speed, and the average will be documented in meters per second. One-minute recoveries will be provided between trials.

    Time frame: Baseline, 12 weeks

  2. Change in Time for the Five Times Sit-to-Stand Test.

    The five-time sit-to-stand test will be used to assess functional lower body strength. The participant will sit with arms folded across the chest and the back against the chair. On a verbal command, the participant will stand up and sit down five times as quickly as possible. Timing begins at the word go and ends when the buttocks touch the chair after the fifth repetition. One practice and two testing trials will be performed. Time will be measured in seconds.

    Time frame: Baseline, 12 weeks

  3. Change in the time required to complete the timed Up-and-Go Test.

    Upon verbal cue, the subject stands up, walks around a cone placed three meters from the front edge of the chair and then returns to a seated position as quickly as possible. Time is measured in seconds.

    Time frame: Baseline, 12 weeks

  4. Change in Distance of the Seated Medicine Ball Throw.

    For the Seated Medicine Ball Throw, subjects will sit in an armless chair with the back against the chair back, while holding the 6-pound medicine ball against the chest. Subjects will then throw the ball at a perceived 45° angle as far as possible. Subjects must complete at least three practice trials; however, subjects will be allowed more trials until comfortable with the testing procedure. Upon starting the official trial, subjects will complete three separate attempts at each varying medicine ball, to nine trials in total. Each of the three trials within a given medicine ball test will be separated by a 1-minute rest. Distance will be measured in centimeters.

    Time frame: Baseline, 12 weeks

07

Study locations

1 of 1 sites recruiting
  • Laboratory of Neruomuscular Research and Active Aging
    Coral Gables, Florida 33147, United States
    • Ethan Elway, MS · Contact · exe453@miami.edu · 305-284-4173
    • Joseph F. Signorile, PhD · Contact · JSIGNORILE@MIAMI.EDU · 3052843105
    • Joseph F. Signorile, PhD · Principal investigator
    Recruiting
08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Feb 2, 2026, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT07378813
Lead sponsor
University of Miami
Responsible party
Joseph Signorile (Professor, University of Miami) — Principal investigator
First posted
Jan 30, 2026
Start date
Jan 30, 2026
Primary completion
May 30, 2027 (estimated)
Completion
May 30, 2027 (estimated)
Last update
Feb 2, 2026

Study contacts

Ethan J Elway, MS
Contact
exe453@miami.edu
3052844173
Joseph F. Signorile, PhD
Contact
jsignorile@miami.edu
3052843105
Joseph F. Signorile, PhD
principal investigator · University of Miami

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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