An interventional study of RDL and NHE in Healthy Adult, Athlete and Exercise Training, sponsored by University of Wisconsin, Madison. Recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 25 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-11-10.
Sponsored by University of Wisconsin, Madison · Not applicable, Interventional, and Other
The purpose of this study is to compare the effects of an intensity-, volume-, and time under tension-matched eccentric hamstring exercise intervention with the Romanian deadlift (RDL) and the Nordic hamstring exercise (NHE) to a sprint-specific training program on hamstring muscle architecture, volume, sprint performance, strength, and power.
Participants will be assigned to complete one of the 3 hamstring interventions for 10 weeks.
Prior to the intervention, participants will undergo baseline testing which will include a) ultrasound imaging of the hamstrings muscles for measures of biceps femoris long head fascicle length, pennation angle, muscle thickness, anatomical cross-sectional area, and muscle volume b) passive and active ranges of motion, c) 3 repetition maximum (3RM) RDL strength, d) peak NHE force, e) countermovement jump height, f) broad jump distance, g) Pro Agility change of direction, and h) a 60 m sprint with sprint kinematics assessed via inertial measurement units.
Participants will be randomly assigned to either the RDL, NHE, or sprint training group. After randomization, each participant will undergo the intervention program based upon their group allocation.
Performance testing and imaging will be repeated mid-intervention, following the intervention, and after 2 weeks of deloading.
139 studies on the registry are indexed under Hypertrophy; 22 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 90 is above the median of 34 across 112 interventional studies indexed under Hypertrophy.
Browse Hypertrophy studies →University of Wisconsin, Madison is the lead sponsor of 1,188 studies on the registry; 181 are open to participants now.
Of its 157 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 118 (75%) have results posted.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Exclusion Criteria:
The training intervention groups will undergo the same program with the only difference being the interventional hamstring exercise. The program will consist of a 2-week familiarization period followed by 8 weeks of progressive training. The RDL arm will perform RDL.
Other: RDL
The training intervention groups will undergo the same program with the only difference being the interventional hamstring exercise. The program will consist of a 2-week familiarization period followed by 8 weeks of progressive training. The NHE arm will performed NHE
Other: NHE
The training intervention groups will undergo the same program with the only difference being the interventional hamstring exercise. The program will consist of a 2-week familiarization period followed by 8 weeks of progressive training. The sprint training program will be performed twice per week with the first day of training focused on shorter distances to focus on acceleration and the second training day focused on maximal velocity. The relative efforts and distances for each training day will mimic a similar prescription to that of the resistance training program.
Other: Sprint testing
The RDL will be performed with a 6 second eccentric component with the athlete returning to the start position with a maximal concentric hip extension.
The NHE will be performed with a 6 second eccentric component.
The sprint training program will be performed twice per week with the first day of training focused on shorter distances to focus on acceleration and the second training day focused on maximal velocity. The relative efforts and distances for each training day will mimic a similar prescription to that of the resistance training program.
Change in fascicle length (FL)
Time frame: Baseline to Mid-intervention (6 weeks), Post-intervention (10 weeks), and Post 2 week de-training (12 weeks)
Change in muscle cross-sectional area (CSA)
Time frame: Baseline to Mid-intervention (6 weeks), Post-intervention (10 weeks), and Post 2 week de-training (12 weeks)
Change in muscle volume
Time frame: Baseline to Mid-intervention (6 weeks), Post-intervention (10 weeks), and Post 2 week de-training (12 weeks)
Change in pennation angle (PA)
Time frame: Baseline to Mid-intervention (6 weeks), Post-intervention (10 weeks), and Post 2 week de-training (12 weeks)
Change in eccentric strength
Eccentric hamstring strength of each limb will be assessed during the hamstring exercise.
Time frame: Baseline to Mid-intervention (6 weeks), Post-intervention (10 weeks), and Post 2 week de-training (12 weeks)
Change in inertial measurement units (IMU)-based sprinting biomechanics
Sprinting biomechanics will be assessed using seven IMUs (sacrum, both thighs, both shanks, both feet). Lower extremity joint motions referenced to upright stance will be calculated throughout an on-field sprint and other football drills.
Time frame: Baseline to Mid-intervention (6 weeks), Post-intervention (10 weeks), and Post 2 week de-training (12 weeks)
Change in countermovement jump (CMJ) performance
Time frame: Baseline to Mid-intervention (6 weeks), Post-intervention (10 weeks), and Post 2 week de-training (12 weeks)
Change in standing broad jump (SBJ) performance
Time frame: Baseline to Mid-intervention (6 weeks), Post-intervention (10 weeks), and Post 2 week de-training (12 weeks)
Change in change of direction (CoD) performance
Time frame: Baseline to Mid-intervention (6 weeks), Post-intervention (10 weeks), and Post 2 week de-training (12 weeks)
Change in range of motion (ROM) performance
Time frame: Baseline to Mid-intervention (6 weeks), Post-intervention (10 weeks), and Post 2 week de-training (12 weeks)
Change in hip flexion
Time frame: Baseline to Mid-intervention (6 weeks), Post-intervention (10 weeks), and Post 2 week de-training (12 weeks)
Change in anterior pelvic tilt
Time frame: Baseline to Mid-intervention (6 weeks), Post-intervention (10 weeks), and Post 2 week de-training (12 weeks)
Plan to share: No
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
Started Aug 2026 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for Sep 2027, 13 months after the start.
Of 65 non-industry interventional studies with no phase under Hypertrophy, half reached primary completion within 15 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 4 and three quarters within 22. This study's planned 13 months is below that.
Counting every sponsor, half of 78 studies reached it within 13 months; a quarter within 6 and three quarters within 22.
Start moved twice since we started tracking on Sep 25, 2026: Sep 2026 → Aug 2026, last on Nov 10, 2026.
Earlier changes are on the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.
From the registry record's own update history. This site started tracking changes on Sep 25, 2026; for anything earlier, see the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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