The Effects of Heavier- and Lighter-load Resistance Training on Arm and Leg Muscle Mass in Young Adult Women

Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy Clinical Trial

— FHALL  

Official title:

The Effects of Higher- And Lower-Load Resistance Exercise Training on Leg and Arm Skeletal Muscle Mass in Healthy Young Adult Females

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT04547972
• Other study ID #: H20-01570
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: January 5, 2021
• Est. completion date: August 12, 2021

Study information

• Verified date: September 2021
• Source: University of British Columbia
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

When you perform weightlifting, your body makes new proteins within your muscle. These new proteins can increase the size of the fibers within your muscle to make your muscle larger, a process called hypertrophy. The common convention surrounding gains in muscle mass and strength are that higher-loads (i.e. heavier weights) used for fewer repetitions are better for increasing strength and lower-loads (i.e. lighter weights) used for higher repetitions are better for increasing muscle mass. However, recent research has found that when higher- and lower-loads are used when participants exercise until volitional fatigue (i.e. cannot perform another repetition), muscle mass and strength increases are similar regardless of using a higher- or lower-load. Many of these studies have examined this effect in males with fewer studies examining the effects of higher- and lower-load training in females when assessing changes in muscle mass, strength, and muscle endurance.

Further, it has been shown that there is substantial individual variation in response to resistance exercise training where individuals can be broadly categorized as higher- or lower-responders to resistance exercise training. This study aims to explore how the muscle mass, strength, and muscle endurance of females are impacted by both higher- and lower-loads while also exploring how individuals may respond to the training interventions.

Description:

The study will be a total of 12 weeks in total duration. Weeks 1 and 12 will include testing assessments of skeletal muscle mass, muscle strength, and muscle endurance. Weeks 2-11 will be comprised of the resistance training intervention wherein participants will train thrice weekly at the Chan Gunn Pavilion research laboratory at the University of British Columbia.

Resistance training sessions will include unilateral knee extensions and unilateral dumbbell bicep preacher curls with each being performed for three sets. Limbs assigned to train with higher-loads will perform between 8-12 repetitions per set and limbs assigned to train with lower-loads will perform between 20-25 repetitions per set. Participants will rest 90 seconds between sets and 120 seconds between exercises. Each exercise will be performed in its entirety before moving on to the next.

Participants will also be supplemented with whey protein which will be ingested twice daily during the resistance training phase.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 16
• Est. completion date: August 12, 2021
• Est. primary completion date: August 12, 2021
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: Female
• Age group: 18 Years to 30 Years

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Female

2. 18-30 years of age

3. Can fluently read and write in English

4. Able to commit to three training sessions per week for a continuous 10-week period as well as testing one week before and one week after this 10-week training period

5. All "No" answers on the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology Get Active questionnaire or doctors' approval to participate

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Allergic to dairy products or are lactose-intolerant (participants will be supplemented with whey protein twice daily for the 10-week training period)

2. Allergic to any of the following ingredients which are present in the whey protein concentrate supplement: Bos taurus - Milk, Cocoa, Natural and Artificial Flavours, Xanthan Gum, Sucralose, Non-genetically modified organism Sunflower Lecithin

3. Any major uncontrolled cardiovascular, muscular, metabolic, and/or neurological disorders

4. Lung or kidney disease

5. Medical conditions impacting on their ability to undertake strenuous physical activity

6. Regular use of any mental health medications that may lead to excessive weight gain (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, second generation antipsychotics, antiepileptic drugs)

7. Participated in consistent resistance exercise training more than twice per month in the previous 12 months

8. Participated in consistent vigorous aerobic training more than twice per week in the previous 12 months

9. Significant gain or loss of body mass in the past 6 months (greater than 2 kg)

10. Current smoker

11. BMI less than 18 or over 30

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Hypertrophy
• Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy

Intervention

Other:
• Higher-load resistance training
This intervention will have one arm and one leg of each participant training with ~80% of their one repetition maximum
• Lower-load resistance training
This intervention will have one arm and one leg of each participant training with ~30% of their one repetition maximum

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
Canada	The University of British Columbia	Vancouver	British Columbia

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
University of British Columbia

Country where clinical trial is conducted

Canada, 

References & Publications (5)

Campos GE, Luecke TJ, Wendeln HK, Toma K, Hagerman FC, Murray TF, Ragg KE, Ratamess NA, Kraemer WJ, Staron RS. Muscular adaptations in response to three different resistance-training regimens: specificity of repetition maximum training zones. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2002 Nov;88(1-2):50-60. Epub 2002 Aug 15. — View Citation

Franco CMC, Carneiro MADS, Alves LTH, Júnior GNO, de Sousa JFR, Orsatti FL. Lower-Load is More Effective Than Higher-Load Resistance Training in Increasing Muscle Mass in Young Women. J Strength Cond Res. 2019 Jul;33 Suppl 1:S152-S158. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000002970. — View Citation

Mitchell CJ, Churchward-Venne TA, West DW, Burd NA, Breen L, Baker SK, Phillips SM. Resistance exercise load does not determine training-mediated hypertrophic gains in young men. J Appl Physiol (1985). 2012 Jul;113(1):71-7. doi: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00307.2012. Epub 2012 Apr 19. — View Citation

Roberts BM, Nuckols G, Krieger JW. Sex Differences in Resistance Training: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. J Strength Cond Res. 2020 May;34(5):1448-1460. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000003521. — View Citation

Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Ogborn D, Krieger JW. Strength and Hypertrophy Adaptations Between Low- vs. High-Load Resistance Training: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. J Strength Cond Res. 2017 Dec;31(12):3508-3523. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000002200. Review. — View Citation

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Change in upper- and lower-body skeletal muscle mass between weeks 1 and 12	The total skeletal muscle mass measured in each individual arm and leg quantified using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry scanning	Weeks 1 and 12
Secondary	Change in unilateral dumbbell bicep preacher curl one repetition maximum between weeks 1 and 12	The maximum amount of weight that an individual can move for one full repetition during the unilateral dumbbell bicep preacher curl exercise	Weeks 1 and 12
Secondary	Change in unilateral knee extension one repetition maximum between weeks 1 and 12	The maximum amount of weight that an individual can move for one full repetition during the unilateral knee extension exercise	Weeks 1 and 12
Secondary	Change in unilateral dumbbell bicep preacher curl relative muscle endurance between weeks 1 and 12	The maximum number of repetitions that can be completed with 30% and 80% of the individuals current one repetition maximum for the unilateral dumbbell bicep preacher curl exercise	Weeks 1 and 12
Secondary	Change in unilateral dumbbell bicep preacher curl absolute muscle endurance between weeks 1 and 12	The maximum number of repetitions that can be completed with 30% and 80% of the individuals baseline one repetition maximum for the unilateral dumbbell bicep preacher curl exercise	Weeks 1 and 12
Secondary	Change in unilateral knee extension relative muscle endurance between weeks 1 and 12	The maximum number of repetitions that can be completed with 30% and 80% of the individuals current one repetition maximum for the unilateral knee extension exercise	Weeks 1 and 12
Secondary	Change in unilateral knee extension absolute muscle endurance between weeks 1 and 12	The maximum number of repetitions that can be completed with 30% and 80% of the individuals baseline one repetition maximum for the unilateral knee extension exercise	Weeks 1 and 12
Secondary	Change in Vastus Lateralis and Biceps Brachii Cross Sectional Area between weeks 1 and 12	The cross sectional area of the vastus lateralis and biceps brachii muscles measured using ultrasonography	Weeks 1 and 12
Secondary	Change in Vastus Lateralis and Biceps Brachii Muscle Thickness between weeks 1 and 12	The thickness of the vastus lateralis and biceps brachii muscles measured using ultrasonography	Weeks 1 and 12
Secondary	Change in Vastus Lateralis Pennation Angle between weeks 1 and 12	The pennation angle of the vastus lateralis muscle fibers measured using ultrasonography	Weeks 1 and 12
Secondary	Change in Vastus Lateralis Fascicle Length between weeks 1 and 12	The length of the fascicles of the vastus lateralis muscle measured using ultrasonography	Weeks 1 and 12