Muscle Capillarization and Sarcopenia

NCT ID: NCT03984994

Last Updated: 2025-10-29

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 14 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2021-11-01
• Study Completion Date: 2024-04-30

Brief Summary

Aging is associated with a loss of muscle mass, termed sarcopenia, that reduces mobility, decreases physical function and accelerates progression of other age-related disorders. This study is designed to determine whether increasing skeletal muscle capillarization through aerobic exercise will enhance muscular adaptations to strength training in older adults with sarcopenia.

Detailed Description

Sarcopenia, or the aging-related loss of muscle mass, affects a large number of older adults. The presence of sarcopenia is associated with physical disability, poor quality of life, and all-cause mortality, in part because sarcopenic adults have low muscle skeletal muscle capillarization and may lack the adequate perfusion needed to maintain muscle mass and function. This study will test the effects of increasing skeletal muscle capillarization through aerobic exercise training on responses to resistance training in older adults. Eligible participants will be randomized to one of two groups, resistance training preceded by aerobic exercise training (AEX-RT), or resistance training followed by aerobic exercise training (RT-AEX). Participants in the AEX-RT group will undergo 3 months of aerobic exercise training to increase skeletal muscle capillarization, followed by 3 months of resistance training. Participants in the RT-AEX group will undergo 3 months of resistance training, followed by 3 months of aerobic exercise training. Before and after the interventions, participants will undergo assessments of muscle size, strength, and capillarization, as well as assessments of physical function.

Conditions

Sarcopenia

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: CROSSOVER
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: SINGLE

Study Groups

Aerobic exercise training followed by resistance training

Participants in this arm will undergo 3 months of aerobic exercise training, followed by 3 months of strength training

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Aerobic exercise training

Intervention Type: OTHER

3 months of center-based, supervised treadmill exercise

Strength training

Intervention Type: OTHER

3 months of center-based, supervise strength training

Resistance training followed by aerobic exercise training

Participants in this arm will undergo 3 months of strength training, followed by 3 months of aerobic exercise training

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Aerobic exercise training

Intervention Type: OTHER

3 months of center-based, supervised treadmill exercise

Strength training

Intervention Type: OTHER

3 months of center-based, supervise strength training

Interventions

Aerobic exercise training

3 months of center-based, supervised treadmill exercise

Intervention Type: OTHER

Strength training

3 months of center-based, supervise strength training

Intervention Type: OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Body Mass Index = 18-32.5 kg/m2
• Non-smoker
• Presence of at least moderate sarcopenia (low muscle mass per unit body height)

Exclusion Criteria

• Diagnosis of diabetes, cancer, pulmonary or renal disease
• Physical impairment preventing exercise
• Recent history of exercise training

• Minimum Eligible Age: 65 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 88 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

University of Maryland, Baltimore

OTHER

Sponsor Role: collaborator

National Institute on Aging (NIA)

NIH

Sponsor Role: collaborator

Baltimore VA Medical Center

FED

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Steven J. Prior, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Locations

University of Maryland, Baltimore & Baltimore VA Medical Center

Baltimore, Maryland, United States

University of Maryland

College Park, Maryland, United States

Countries

United States

Provided Documents

Document Type: Study Protocol and Statistical Analysis Plan

View Document

Other Identifiers

5R21AG064571

Identifier Type: NIH

Identifier Source: secondary_id

View Link

HP-00086001

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id