An interventional study of Standardized Age-Specific Seated Exercise Program and Prolonged Sitting Control in Sedentary Behavior, Fatigue and Prolonged Sitting, sponsored by Aiyoudong Children and Youth Sports Health Research Institute. Completed at 1 site in China. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 60 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-11-06.
Sponsored by Aiyoudong Children and Youth Sports Health Research Institute · Not applicable, Interventional, and Prevention
Prolonged sitting during high-speed rail travel may contribute to subjective fatigue, musculoskeletal discomfort, sleepiness, reduced alertness, cognitive impairment, and changes in physiological and neurophysiological function.
This randomized crossover controlled trial aims to evaluate the effects of a standardized age-specific seated exercise program on multidimensional fatigue associated with prolonged sitting during simulated high-speed rail travel.
Participants aged 7 to 60 years will be analyzed within three prespecified age groups: 7-18 years, 18-45 years, and 45-60 years. Each participant will complete both a seated exercise condition and a prolonged sitting control condition in randomized order.
Outcome measures will include subjective fatigue, sleepiness, local discomfort, mood, attention, psychomotor vigilance, working memory, inhibitory control, heart rate variability, salivary biomarkers, surface electromyography, plantar pressure and postural control measures, and electroencephalographic indices.
The study aims to determine whether brief standardized seated exercise performed periodically during prolonged sitting can reduce fatigue and maintain physical, cognitive, autonomic, and neurophysiological function during simulated high-speed rail travel.
The study will use a randomized crossover design to evaluate a standardized seated exercise program under simulated prolonged high-speed rail travel conditions. Each participant will complete two experimental sessions in randomized order: a seated exercise condition and a prolonged sitting control condition. The two sessions will be separated by a washout period of at least 7 days to minimize potential carryover effects.
Each experimental session will last approximately 7 hours in a simulated high-speed rail seating environment. Baseline assessments will be completed before prolonged sitting. During the seated exercise condition, participants will perform a standardized age-appropriate seated exercise program according to a predefined schedule, with exercise repeated approximately once every hour during the prolonged sitting period. During the control condition, participants will remain seated under the same environmental and assessment conditions without performing the structured exercise program.
Standardized breaks for essential needs, including drinking water, meals, and restroom use, will be permitted and recorded. The timing of experimental sessions, pre-test requirements, assessment procedures, and environmental conditions will be standardized as far as possible between the two study periods.
Participants will be stratified into three prespecified age groups (7-18 years, 18-45 years, and 45-60 years). Age-appropriate instructions and assessment procedures will be used for younger participants. For participants younger than 18 years, written informed consent will be obtained from a parent or legal guardian together with age-appropriate assent from the participant.
The study is designed to determine whether brief, repeated seated exercise can attenuate the multidimensional effects of prolonged sitting and help maintain subjective well-being, cognitive performance, autonomic regulation, neuromuscular function, postural control, and neurophysiological function during prolonged simulated high-speed rail travel.
1,273 studies on the registry are indexed under Sedentary Behavior; 300 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 120 is above the median of 60 across 1,076 interventional studies indexed under Sedentary Behavior.
Browse Sedentary Behavior studies →Aiyoudong Children and Youth Sports Health Research Institute is the lead sponsor of 6 studies on the registry; 1 is open to participants now.
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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:
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
A recording of the heart’s electrical activity, taken with stickers on the chest, arms and legs. It takes a few minutes and does not hurt.
Informed consent
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
ECG (electrocardiogram)
A recording of the heart’s electrical activity, taken with stickers on the chest, arms and legs. It takes a few minutes and does not hurt.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Participants will first complete the seated exercise condition during Period 1. After a washout period of at least 7 days, they will complete the prolonged sitting control condition during Period 2.
Behavioral: Standardized Age-Specific Seated Exercise Program
Participants will first complete the prolonged sitting control condition during Period 1. After a washout period of at least 7 days, they will complete the seated exercise condition during Period 2.
Other: Prolonged Sitting Control
A standardized seated exercise program designed for prolonged high-speed rail travel. The program consists of a predefined sequence of seated movements that can be performed within the spatial constraints of a high-speed rail seat. Age-specific instructional videos are used to standardize the exercise content, movement sequence, rhythm, duration, and instructions for participants aged 7-18 years, 18-45 years, and 45-60 years. During the seated exercise condition, participants perform the standardized exercise at the predefined intervention time point and approximately once every hour during the prolonged sitting period.
Participants remain seated in the same simulated high-speed rail environment for approximately 7 hours and undergo the same assessment schedule as in the seated exercise condition, but do not perform the structured seated exercise program. Standardized brief breaks for essential needs, including restroom use, drinking water, and scheduled meals, are permitted and recorded. The duration and environmental conditions are standardized as far as practicable between the seated exercise and control conditions.
Change in Subjective Fatigue
Subjective fatigue will be assessed using an age-appropriate Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Participants aged 7-18 years will use an age-adapted visual scale, while adult participants will use a standard VAS. Scores will be standardized to a 0-100 scale for analysis, with higher scores indicating greater subjective fatigue.
Time frame: Baseline (T0), immediately after the initial intervention (T1), and at the end of the approximately 7-hour sitting session (T2)
Change in Subjective Sleepiness
Subjective sleepiness will be assessed using the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale (KSS) or an age-adapted version for younger participants. Higher scores indicate greater sleepiness.
Time frame: Baseline (T0), immediately after the initial intervention (T1), and at the end of the approximately 7-hour sitting session (T2)
Change in Local Musculoskeletal Discomfort
Local musculoskeletal discomfort will be assessed using a numerical rating scale or an age-appropriate facial rating scale. Higher scores indicate greater perceived discomfort or pain.
Time frame: Baseline (T0), immediately after the initial intervention (T1), and at the end of the approximately 7-hour sitting session (T2)
Change in Positive and Negative Affect
Mood will be assessed using the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) or an age-adapted version for younger participants. Positive and negative affect scores will be analyzed separately.
Time frame: Baseline (T0), immediately after the initial intervention (T1), and at the end of the approximately 7-hour sitting session (T2)
Change in Psychomotor Vigilance
Psychomotor vigilance will be assessed using a 3-minute Psychomotor Vigilance Task (PVT). Outcomes will include reaction time and lapses, with longer reaction times and more lapses indicating poorer vigilance.
Time frame: Baseline (T0) and at the end of the approximately 7-hour sitting session (T2)
Change in Working Memory Performance
Working memory will be assessed using an n-back task. Accuracy and reaction time will be recorded. Age-appropriate task difficulty will be used for younger participants.
Time frame: Baseline (T0) and at the end of the approximately 7-hour sitting session (T2)
Change in Inhibitory Control Performance
Inhibitory control will be assessed using a Stroop task. Accuracy, reaction time, and interference-related performance will be recorded using age-appropriate task versions.
Time frame: Baseline (T0) and at the end of the approximately 7-hour sitting session (T2)
Change in Heart Rate Variability
Autonomic nervous system function will be assessed using heart rate variability (HRV). Primary HRV indices will include RMSSD and SDNN.
Time frame: Baseline (T0) and at the end of the approximately 7-hour sitting session (T2)
Change in Salivary Cortisol Concentration
Salivary cortisol concentration will be measured as an indicator of physiological stress response.
Time frame: Baseline (T0) and at the end of the approximately 7-hour sitting session (T2)
Change in Salivary Alpha-Amylase Activity
Salivary alpha-amylase activity will be measured as an additional biomarker of physiological stress and autonomic activation.
Time frame: Baseline (T0) and at the end of the approximately 7-hour sitting session (T2)
Change in Plantar Pressure and Postural Control
Plantar pressure and postural control will be assessed using a plantar pressure platform. Outcomes will include plantar pressure distribution and center-of-pressure measures such as path length and mean velocity.
Time frame: Baseline (T0) and at the end of the approximately 7-hour sitting session (T2)
Change in Surface Electromyographic Indicators of Muscle Fatigue
Surface electromyography (sEMG) will be used to assess neuromuscular changes associated with prolonged sitting. Amplitude- and frequency-domain indicators of muscle activity and fatigue will be analyzed.
Time frame: Baseline (T0) and at the end of the approximately 7-hour sitting session (T2)
Change in Electroencephalographic Spectral Power
Electroencephalography (EEG) will be used to assess neurophysiological changes associated with prolonged sitting and seated exercise. Spectral power in the theta, alpha, and beta frequency bands will be analyzed.
Time frame: Baseline (T0) and at the end of the approximately 7-hour sitting session (T2)
Plan to share: Yes — De-identified individual participant data underlying the main results of the study may be shared with qualified researchers upon reasonable request following publication of the primary study results. Shared data may include de-identified demographic, behavioral, physiological, and primary and secondary outcome data, subject to applicable ethical and data protection requirements.
Supporting information: Study protocol, Statistical analysis plan, Informed consent form
Time frame: Data will be available beginning 6 months after publication of the primary study results and will remain available for 5 years.
Access criteria: Data requests will be reviewed by the principal investigator and research team. Researchers requesting access should provide a scientifically justified research proposal, a data analysis plan, and evidence of appropriate ethical approval where applicable. Data will be shared only for legitimate scientific purposes and subject to a data use agreement and applicable privacy and ethical requirements.
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
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 Nov 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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Aiyoudong Children and Youth Sports Health Research Institute