An interventional study of Short sprint interval training in Multiple Sclerosis, sponsored by Universidad de León. Completed at 1 site in Spain. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 65 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-10-29.
Sponsored by Universidad de León · Not applicable, Interventional, and Supportive care
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether a short sprint interval training protocol on a cycle ergometer can improve physical function, walking, muscle strength, exercise capacity, fatigue, cognitive processing speed, and patient-reported outcomes in people with multiple sclerosis.
The main questions it aims to answer are:
Researchers will compare short sprint interval training with usual physical activity to see if this exercise program improves physical, cognitive, and patient-reported outcomes.
Participants will:
3,264 studies on the registry are indexed under Multiple Sclerosis; 659 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 40 is below the median of 50 across 2,201 interventional studies indexed under Multiple Sclerosis.
Browse Multiple Sclerosis studies →Universidad de León is the lead sponsor of 26 studies on the registry; 1 is open to participants now.
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Exclusion Criteria:
Other: Short sprint interval training
Participants in this arm will not receive any intervention and will be asked to continue their usual physical activity during the 2-week study period.
Participants will perform a supervised short sprint interval training program on a recumbent cycle ergometer for 2 weeks, with 3 sessions per week. Each session will include a 5-minute warm-up at an easy intensity, followed by repeated 5-second high-intensity cycling sprints separated by 40 seconds of active recovery. The number of sprints will increase progressively across sessions from 5 to 9, with a reduced number of sprints in the final session.
Change in Symbol Digit Modalities Test Oral Score
Cognitive processing speed will be assessed through the oral version of the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT). The outcome will be reported as the total number of correct responses. Scores range from 0 to 110, with higher scores indicating better cognitive processing speed. Change from baseline to Week 4 will be evaluated.
Time frame: Baseline and Week 4
Change in Fatigue Severity Scale Score
Fatigue severity will be assessed through the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS). The FSS includes 9 items, each scored from 1, indicating strongly disagree, to 7, indicating strongly agree. The total score is calculated as the mean of the 9 items and ranges from 1 to 7, with higher scores indicating greater fatigue severity. Change from baseline to Week 4 will be evaluated.
Time frame: Baseline and Week 4
Change in Timed 25 Foot Walk Time
Walking speed will be assessed through the Timed 25-Foot Walk (T25FW). This test will be performed forwards and backwards, at a comfortable pace and as fast as safely possible, with 2 trials for each condition. Time will be recorded in seconds using a stopwatch. The outcome will be reported as the lowest time recorded for each condition, with lower times indicating a faster walking speed. Change from baseline to Week 4 will be evaluated.
Time frame: Baseline to Week 4
Change in the Six-Spot Step Test Time
Dynamic walking performance and lower-limb coordination will be assessed through the Six-Spot Step Test (SSST). The SSST will be performed after a familiarization trial as fast as safely possible for two trials with each leg. Time will be recorded in seconds using a stopwatch, with lower times indicating better lower-limb coordination and walking performance. The outcome will be reported as the lowest time recorded for each leg. Change from baseline to Week 4 will be evaluated.
Time frame: Baseline and Week 4
Change in Handgrip Strength
Handgrip strength will be assessed using a hand dynamometer and recorded in kg. The outcome will be the best of 3 trials, with higher scores indicating greater handgrip strength. Change from baseline to Week 4 will be evaluated.
Time frame: Baseline and Week 4
Change in Lower-limb Muscle Power
Lower-limb muscle power will be assessed through the 5-repetition Sit-to-Stand test (5-STS) with the time recorded in seconds with a stopwatch. The outcome will be reported as the best of the 2 trials, with lower times indicating greater muscle power. Change from baseline to Week 4 will be evaluated.
Time frame: Baseline to Week 4
Change in Lower-limb endurance and strength
Lower-limb endurance and strength will be assessed through the 30-second Sit-to-Stand test (30-STS), with the number of repetitions visually counted. The outcome will be reported as the best of 2 trials, with a higher number of repetitions indicating greater lower-limb endurance and strength. Change from baseline to Week 4 will be evaluated.
Time frame: Baseline to Week 4
Change in Cardiorespiratory fitness
Cardiorespiratory fitness will be assessed using the Young Men's Christian Association 3-minute step test (YMCA step test). Heart rate will be assessed with a chest strap heart-rate monitor. The outcome will be recorded as the mean recovery heart rate after 60 s of rest, with lower scores indicating better cardiorespiratory fitness. Change from baseline to Week 4 will be evaluated.
Time frame: Baseline and Week 4
Change in Plantar flexor strength-endurance
Plantar flexor strength-endurance will be assessed using the standing single-leg heel-rise test. The outcome will be reported as the number of repetitions visually counted from each leg in 1 trial, with a higher number of repetitions indicating greater plantar flexor endurance capacity. Change from baseline to Week 4 will be evaluated.
Time frame: Baseline to Week 4
Cadence during the intervention sessions
Data will be recorded during each intervention session and will be used as descriptive data. Cadence will be recorded using the potentiometer of the recumbent cycle ergometer by a custom software app in revolutions per minute.
Time frame: During each sprint interval training session, up to 2 weeks
Heart rate during the intervention sessions
Data will be recorded during each intervention session and will be used as descriptive data. Heart rate will be recorded using the handheld sensors of the recumbent cycle ergometer by a custom software app in beats per minute.
Time frame: During each sprint interval training session, up to 2 weeks
Power during intervention sessions
Data will be recorded during each intervention session and will be used as descriptive data. Power output will be recorded using the potentiometer of the recumbent cycle ergometer by a custom software app in watts.
Time frame: During each sprint interval training session, up to 2 weeks
Rating of Perceived Exertion After Each Sprint
Rating of perceived exertion (RPE) will be assessed using the Borg Category-Ratio 10 scale (CR10). Scores range from 0 to 10, with 0 indicating rest and 10 indicating maximal effort. The outcome will be reported as the perceived exertion score recorded after each sprint, with lower scores indicating lower perceived exertion.
Time frame: After each sprint during each sprint interval training session, up to 2 weeks
Session Rating of Perceived Exertion
Global session rating of perceived exertion (sRPE) will be assessed after each exercise session using the Borg Category-Ratio 10 scale (CR10). Scores ranges from 0 to 10, with 0 indicating rest and 10 indicating maximal effort. The outcome will be reported as the session perceived exertion score, with lower scores indicating lower perceived exertion.
Time frame: After each exercise session during the 2-week intervention period
Affective Valence After Each Sprint
Affective valence will be assessed after every sprint in the short sprint interval training intervention using the Feeling Scale. This scale ranges from -5 to +5, with +5 indicating very good, 0 indicating neutral, and -5 indicating very bad. The outcome will be reported as the affective valence score, with higher scores indicating better affective valence.
Time frame: After each sprint during each sprint interval training session, up to 2 weeks
Descriptive and anthropometric data
Height measured in meters.
Time frame: Baseline
Descriptive and anthropometric data
Body mass measured in kilograms.
Time frame: Baseline
Descriptive and anthropometric data
Body mass index measured through the combination of weight and height reported in kg/m\^2.
Time frame: Baseline
Descriptive and anthropometric data.
Waist circumference and Hip circumference will be measured in centimeters.
Time frame: Baseline
Descriptive and anthropometric data
Waist circumference and Hip circumference will be combined to report Waist-to-hip ratio as an index.
Time frame: Baseline
Descriptive and anthropometric data
Smoking status will be reported by the patient with yes or no.
Time frame: Baseline
Descriptive and anthropometric data
Most affected side will be reported by the patient as left, right, or both.
Time frame: Baseline
Descriptive and anthropometric data.
Limb dominance will be reported by the patient as left, right, or ambidextrous.
Time frame: Baseline
Descriptive and anthropometric data.
Patient-reported walking ability over the previous 2 weeks will be assessed using the 12-Item Multiple Sclerosis Walking Scale (MSWS-12). Items are scored on a Likert scale from 1 to 5, with 1 indicating "Not at all" and 5 indicating "Extremely". Scores range from 12 to 60 and are transformed into a percentage. The outcome will be reported as the percentage, with higher percentages indicating a greater perceived impact of MS on walking.
Time frame: Baseline
Descriptive and anthropometric data.
Fatigue over the previous 4 weeks will be assessed using the Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS). Items are scored on a Likert scale from 0 to 4, with 0 indicating "Never" and 4 indicating "Almost always". Total scores range from 0 to 84. The outcome will be reported as the total score, with higher scores indicating a greater impact of fatigue.
Time frame: Baseline
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 ↗
This study is completed, as verified in Oct 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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