Interference of Endurance Training on Strength Development and Neuromuscular Adaptations

Exercise Clinical Trial

Official title:

Interference of Endurance Training on Strength Development and Neuromuscular Adaptations

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Active, not recruiting

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT06378762
• Other study ID #: 6/2021
• Status: Active, not recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: April 1, 2022
• Est. completion date: July 30, 2025

Study information

• Verified date: June 2024
• Source: University of Lisbon
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

This study aims to find out if performing combined strength and endurance exercise in the same program (called concurrent training-CT) leads to similar long-term improvements in neuromuscular function as doing each type of exercise separately. The main questions it seeks to answer are:

Does performing CT result in similar improvements in strength and power as doing just strength training? Does performing CT result in similar improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness as doing just endurance training? Are neuromuscular adaptations similar between CT and just strength training? Researchers will compare the results between three groups: the CT group, the endurance training group (E), and the strength training group (S) to answer these questions.

Description:

This study looks at how different types of exercise affect neuromuscular and cardiorespiratory improvements over time. It aims to see how combining strength and endurance training (concurrent training - CT) affects neuromuscular and cardiorespiratory adaptations compared to doing just strength or endurance training. Participants who regularly do both types of exercise will be split into three groups: Concurrent training (CT), endurance training (E), or strength training (S) and will be involved in 11 weeks of supervised training, three days a week:

Endurance training involves 30 minutes of continuous running, three days a week, at an intensity corresponding to the heavy domain (between the first and second ventilatory threshold) Strength training includes weightlifting three days a week, focusing on building both strength and power.

Concurrent training incorporates both strength and endurance exercises in the same session, three days a week, with strength training being executed prior to endurance training.

Researchers will collect data at three time-points during the 11 weeks: before starting the program (Baseline), at the end of week 5 (Week 5), and at the end of the program (Week 11). Measurements include lower-body strength and power, aerobic capacity, nerve evoked responses, and muscle structure if the quadriceps femoris.

Researchers will then compare the CT, E, and S groups at each measurement point to see which type of training elicited the best adaptations for the different neuromuscular and cardiorespiratory outcomes.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Active, not recruiting
• Enrollment: 30
• Est. completion date: July 30, 2025
• Est. primary completion date: July 30, 2024
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: Male
• Age group: 18 Years to 30 Years

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Active training status (strength and endurance (running) exercise at least 2 times per week over the last three months prior to inclusion in the study)

Exclusion Criteria:

• Active smoking status

• Orthopedic injuries

• On medication

• Known cardiovascular or respiratory disease

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Exercise

Intervention

Behavioral:
• Endurance Exercise
30 minutes of running at an intensity corresponding to the heavy-domain (between the first and second ventilatory thresholds)
• Strength Exercise
Combination of strength and power exercises Weeks 1-5 focus on building maximal strength Weeks 6-11 focus on maintaining maximal strength and improve muscle power
• Concurrent Exercise
Combining both strength and endurance training programs, with strength preceding endurance, incorporating a 20-min rest period between each modality

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
Portugal	Faculdade de Motricidade Humana - Universidade de Lisboa	Lisboa	Cruz Quebrada - Dafundo

Sponsors (2)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
University of Lisbon	Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia

Country where clinical trial is conducted

Portugal, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Maximal Isometric Strength	Maximal voluntary isometric strength of the plantarflexors and leg press exercise in Newtons	Baseline, Week 5, Week 11
Primary	Maximal Dynamic Strength	Maximal dynamic strength on the back squat exercise in kilograms lifted	Baseline, Week 5, Week 11
Primary	Surface EMG	Using surface electromyography (EMG), the muscle activation of the plantarflexors muscles will me assessed, as well as the quadriceps femoris during the leg press and back squat exercise	Baseline, Week 5, Week 11
Primary	H-reflex excitability	Using percutaneous electrostimulation of the tibial nerve, spinal reflex excitability will be explored by assessing H-reflex evoked responses	Baseline, Week 5, Week 11
Primary	V-wave	Using percutaneous electrostimulation of the tibial nerve, neural drive to the active muscle will be assessed by measuring V-wave amplitudes	Baseline, Week 5, Week 11
Primary	Lower Body Muscle Power	Lower body muscle power in watts will be assessed during countermovement jumps	Baseline, Week 5, Week 11
Primary	Muscle fascicle length	Fascicle length of the vastus lateralis muscles in centimeters	Baseline, Week 5, Week 11
Primary	Muscle fascicle pennation angle	Pennation angle of the vastus laterais fascicles, in degrees	Baseline, Week 5, Week 11
Primary	Muscle thickenss	Muscle thickenss of the vastus lateralis, in centimeters	Baseline, Week 5, Week 11