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Prehabilitative Exercise Prior to Immobilization

Not Applicable
Recruiting
Conditions
Disuse Atrophy
Sarcopenia
Skeletal Muscle Atrophy
Interventions
Other: Prehabilitative exercise
Registration Number
NCT06205784
Lead Sponsor
Bispebjerg Hospital
Brief Summary

This is a 10-week human study involving 24 younger (20-35 y) and 24 older (65-85 y) healthy individuals. All participants will undergo unilateral immobilization of a knee for 7-10 days, followed by 4 weeks of heavy resistance exercise training (HReT). Half of the participants (12 younger and 12 older) will also undergo 4 weeks HReT prior to the immobilization. Prehabilitative exercise may confer protective effects on subsequent immobilization, and the various underlying mechanisms involved

Detailed Description

Not available

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
RECRUITING
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
48
Inclusion Criteria
  • Age: Between 20-35 years old or between 65-85 years old.
  • BMI: Between 18.5 and 35 kg/m2.
  • Healthy and well, with normal dietary habits (not vegan).
Exclusion Criteria
  • More than one muscle biopsy previously taken from both vastus lateralis muscles.
  • Smoking.
  • Pregnancy.
  • Past or present substance or alcohol abuse.
  • Medical/surgical conditions that are assessed to affect protein synthesis or the participant's involvement in the trial.
  • Knee pain that could affect the completion of the training intervention.
  • High intake of supplements that increase the risk of bleeding during muscle biopsy (such as fish oil and ginger).
  • Participation in regular strength training within the past year.
  • Regular participation in structured sports.
  • Current use of blood-thinning medication.
  • Previous participation in trials involving oral intake of heavy water.
  • Metal in the body preventing MRI scanning.
  • For the older group, not having gone through menopause, and for the younger group, not having a regular menstrual cycle.

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
PrehabPrehabilitative exercise-
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Quadriceps cross-sectional areaFrom pre (week 0) to post immobilization (week 5)

Quadriceps cross-sectional area measured by MRI

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Lean-body massFrom pre (week 0) to post immobilization (week 5) and post retraining (week 10)

Whole-body and thigh lean-body mass assessed using DEXA-scans

Muscle strengthFrom pre (week 0) to post immobilization (week 5) and post retraining (week 10)

Muscle strength during knee extension assessed using isokinetic and isometric dynamometers

Denervated muscle fibersFrom pre (week 0) to post immobilization (week 5) and post retraining (week 10)

Assessment denervated fibers using histochemical stainings

Muscle fiber sizeFrom pre (week 0) to post immobilization (week 5) and post retraining (week 10)

Muscle fiber size assessed by histochemical stainings

Muscle gene expressionFrom pre (week 0) to post immobilization (week 5) and post retraining (week 10)

Muscle gene expression assessed by RNA sequencing

Tendon ultrastructureFrom pre immobilization (week 4) to post immobilization (week 5)

Tendon tissue analysed by molecular analyses

Muscle protein synthesisFrom pre immobilization (week 4) to post immobilization (week 5)

Muscle protein synthesis assessed using deuterium (heavy water)

Tendon structureFrom pre (week 0) to post immobilization (week 5)

Tendon structure measured by MRI

BalanceFrom pre (week 0) to post immobilization (week 5) and post retraining (week 10)

One-legged balanced assessed using a force platform

Force variabilityFrom pre (week 0) to post immobilization (week 5) and post retraining (week 10)

Force variability during knee extension assessed using submaximal isometric contractions

Brain structureFrom pre (week 0) to post immobilization (week 5) and post retraining (week 10)

Brain structure measured by MRI

Brain functionFrom pre (week 0) to post immobilization (week 5) and post retraining (week 10)

Brain function measured by MRI

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Institute of Sports Medicine Copenhagen

🇩🇰

Copenhagen, Capital Region, Denmark

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