Health TrialsbyHealthPanel

The Perceived Point of Muscular Discomfort vs the Point of Failure in the Ageing Population- a Pilot Study

ConditionMuscle Fatigue Caused by Repetitive Muscle Exercise
Trial statusNot yet recruiting
Trial phaseNot applicable
Trial typeInterventional
Biological sexAll
Age60-80
SponsorLancaster University

About this trial

This is an investigation into the differences in muscle activation and numerical difference in reps between the feeling of moderate discomfort and technical failure during a set of bodyweight resistance exercise.

The investigators know that resistance training is an essential tool for older people to maintain muscle function, valuable independence and autonomy in daily tasks. The idea of completing a set of resistance training activity to the point of failing a repetition due to fatigue regularly has been shown to not be appealing and could be a reason why there are low participation rates among older people for in weight training regularly.

Research has also shown that it is not necessary to train to failure (being unable to continue to complete repetitions of an exercise with the proper technique due to fatigue), but the investigators would like to know if training to a point of moderate discomfort can also allow for the muscles to gain the positive changes associated with weight training, potentially making it more accessible and enjoyable.

Using bodyweight exercises (a squat pattern and a push up pattern) the investigators will see how many repetitions after the point of perceived moderate discomfort is stated at which the point of failure is. the investigators will also measure muscle activation in the quadriceps and triceps with EMG (a device that can detect the muscles' electrical activity/ how hard it is working) to see at which point the muscle is working the hardest.

Eligibility criteria

This trial accepts healthy volunteers

Qualifiers

Aged 60-80 years of age.

Physically capable of resistance training.

Able to walk unassisted.

Disqualifiers

Major cardiovascular (e.g. myocardial infarction, angioplasty within the last year, coronary artery bypass graft), neurological (e.g. Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's, major anxiety or depressive disorders), muscular (e.g., muscular dystrophies, myopathies, myositis) or uncontrolled metabolic conditions (e.g. Type 1 or 2 diabetes).

Severe obesity (BMI >39).

Have undertaken regular resistance exercise in the last 12 months.

Any upper or lower body musculoskeletal injury that impairs the participants ability to perform a repetition as fast as possible.

Trial design

Design model

Single group

Treatments tested in this trial

  • Resistance Exercise Protocol

    Other intervention

    The intervention involves performing progressive variations of squat and push-up patterns to technical failure while monitored by EMG electrodes on the triceps and quadriceps. Participants verbally signal a "moderate" discomfort threshold (5/10) during each set to identify the repetition gap between perceived strain and actual physical exhaustion. This structured exercise task serves to calibrate subjective effort against objective muscle activation (%MVC) to map the physiological mechanics of fatigue.

Treatment groups

15 Participants
are divided into 1 treatment group
Group A: Bodyweight push-up and squat variationsExperimental treatment 1 intervention

Trial outcomes

Primary outcomes

1

The number of reps between reported perceived moderate muscular discomfort and technical failure.

The quantitative difference between the rep number that the participant reports the feeling of moderate muscular discomfort at (5 on a scale of 1-10) compared to the rep number that technical failure of the set occurs.

Time frame
During 1 set of body weight resistance exercise.

Secondary outcomes

1

Muscle Activity

Electromyography amplitude of the quadriceps and triceps muscle groups to measure muscle activation.

Time frame
During intervention
2

Accuracy of exercise difficulty selection

The ability of the participant to accurately select an appropriate exercise difficulty that allows them to complete between 8 and 15 repetitions. This will be collected as "yes" or "no" by the investigator for each participant based on their ability to complete what they perceive to be the correct difficulty of exercise variation. If the participant was able to select an appropriate difficulty of variation the investigator will record "yes", if they are not able to select an appropriate variation then the investigator will record "no".

Time frame
Immediately after intervention

Other outcomes

Sponsors and contacts

Click on the lead sponsor to view all of their trials.

Lancaster University

Lead sponsor

Source ClinicalTrials.gov

This trial is not recruiting at the moment. You can still explore other options: