Effect of Low-load Resistance Training vs. High-intensity Interval Training on Local Muscle Endurance

NCT ID: NCT05945641

Last Updated: 2025-03-30

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: RECRUITING
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 20 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2023-09-27
• Study Completion Date: 2025-05-31

Brief Summary

Local muscle endurance (LME) is the ability of a muscle(s) to resist fatigue and is needed for daily activities of life such as climbing stairs, lifting/moving objects, and in sport contexts like rock climbing, mixed martial arts, cross-fit, kayaking and canoeing. Therefore, the investigators want learn how to improve LME and understand what in human bodies changes during exercise training to cause these changes. The investigators know that lifting weights improves muscle strength which is believed to improve LME. Specifically lifting less heavy weights (LLRET) for more repetitions leads to greater gains in LME opposed to heavier weights for fewer repetitions. Therefore, lifting less heavy weights likely causes greater changes in our muscles than lifting heavier weights that cause improvements in LME. Aerobic exercise preformed at high intensities in an interval format (HIIT) may also help improve LME by increasing our muscle's ability to produce energy during exercise. Therefore, the investigators want to see which of LLRET or HIIT leads to greater improvements in LME.

Detailed Description

Local muscle endurance (LME) is the ability of a given muscle/muscle group to resist fatigue when performing resistance exercise at a submaximal resistance/load. LME is vital for daily activities of life such as climbing stairs, lifting/moving objects, and in sport contexts such as, rock climbing, mixed martial arts, cross-fit, kayaking and canoeing. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms that underpin LME are of significant interest. Mitochondrial content, mitochondrial function and muscle capillarization have been purported as potential physiological factors that may influence LME. However, currently these mechanisms are speculative in nature and further research is required to draw more conclusive evidence. Furthermore, tolerance to exercise induced discomfort is another a potential mechanism of LME, whereby individuals who train under conditions that induce significant feelings of discomfort may possess a greater capacity to push through discomfort induced via LME tests. However, distinguishing between potential physiological and psychological/neural adaptations regarding LME improvements would require further investigations with nuanced methodology. Low load resistance exercise training (LLRET) has been definitively shown to improve local muscle endurance via numerous investigations. Resistance exercise training (RET), LLRET inclusive improves muscle strength which leads to greater repetition reserve capacity at lower loads. Although, Improvements in muscle strength are not specific to LLRET, yet, LLRET does yield greater gains in LME opposed to high load RET (HLRET). Therefore, LLRET likely induces vital physiological adaptations to greater extent than HLRET that drive improvements in LME such mitochondrial function, mitochondrial content and muscle capillarization. HIIT/Sprint interval training (SIT) induce significant discomfort and improve mitochondrial content/function and muscle capillarization, therefore, HIIT/SIT may be effective interventions to improve muscle endurance.

It is evident that RET of varying loads can improve strength, hypertrophy and LME and that endurance exercise training (EET) improves, VO2 Max, mitochondrial content, mitochondrial function and muscle capillarization. However, minimal research has investigated the impact of RET on single leg maximal aerobic capacity, mitochondrial content, mitochondrial function and muscle capillarization and of EET on muscle strength and muscle hypertrophy and muscle endurance. Furthermore, the findings that do exist from this body of literature are conflicted, with some suggesting RET can improve EET associated adaptions while others suggest no benefit or even decrements in aerobic condition are induced via RET. A similar pattern emerges surrounding the impact of HIIT and SIT on muscle hypertrophy, strength and local muscle endurance, whereby SIT and HIIT may induce gains in hypertrophy, strength and local muscle endurance or may yield no benefit at all. Interestingly, SIT and LLRET fall the closest to one another on the resistance exercise-endurance exercise (RE-EE) continuum suggesting that in theory there would be the largest "crossover" effect from these stimuli. Whereby SIT would elicit the greatest improvements in muscle strength and hypertrophy relative to other EET and LLRET would induce greater enhancement of EET associated adaptations relative to other RET. Although limited research has investigated this potential "crossover effect", evidence suggests that both stimuli may improve single leg maximal aerobic capacity ,mitochondrial content, mitochondrial function, muscle capillarization, muscle strength, muscle hypertrophy and local muscle endurance. However, results are in-consistent between investigations and findings are difficult to compare due to discrepancies in durations of studies, training architecture and intensity of sessions. Furthermore, to date no previous research has directly compared the effect of SIT/HIIT and LLRET on the aforementioned adaptations within the same study, leaving this topic up to speculation. The present study attempts to address this gap in the literature.

Conditions

Hypertrophy; Muscle Strength; High-Intensity Interval Training; Resistance Training

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: PREVENTION
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Low Load Resistance Training

LLRET - 12 weeks (2-3 times/week) 3 sets of Knee extension exercise (single leg) done at 30%1- RM. Performed to failure with 3 minutes of rest between sets, weight lifted will be adjusted throughout the study to keep repetitions completed in a 20-30 repetition range.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Low Load Resistance training

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Performing single leg knee extension exercise with using equivalent to \~30%1-RM to failure,

Sprint/High Intensity Interval Training

SIT/HIIT- 12 weeks (2-3 times/week), mix of SIT and HIIT (8-15 sets/session). SIT -30 second Super Maximal "Wingate style intervals" performed on a Kicking ergometer (single leg) with 4 minutes rest provided between sets (number of interval ranges from 4-5), load determined from DEXA leg lean mass and will not be altered throughout training.

HIIT - 1-minute Submaximal efforts (90% single leg kicking ergometer VO2Peak Wattage) performed on a kicking ergometer (single leg) with 1 minute rest provided between sets (number of interval ranges from 8-10), if all sets completed wattage will be increased by 5watts for the next training session.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Sprint/High Intensity Interval Training

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Performing repeated submaximal/maximal 30second-60 seconds (1-3 minute rest between) aerobic intervals on a Kicking ergometer (modified bike that allows cycling to be performed with one leg using a kicking motion).

Interventions

Low Load Resistance training

Performing single leg knee extension exercise with using equivalent to \~30%1-RM to failure,

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Sprint/High Intensity Interval Training

Performing repeated submaximal/maximal 30second-60 seconds (1-3 minute rest between) aerobic intervals on a Kicking ergometer (modified bike that allows cycling to be performed with one leg using a kicking motion).

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Other Intervention Names

LLRET; SIT/HIIT

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

1. Able to understand and communicate in English

2. 19-30 years of age

3. All "No" answers on the CSEP Get Active questionnaire or doctors' approval to participate

4. Untrained participants: no structured resistance and/or endurance training over the past 12-months (i.e., >2 hours per week of structured/periodized training)

Exclusion Criteria

1. BMI lower than 18 or greater than 30

2. Current use of cigarettes or other nicotine devices

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

4. Any medical condition impacting the ability to participate in maximal exercise

5. Type one or type two diabetes

6. Diagnosis of cancer or undergoing cancer treatment in the past 12 months

7. Taking blood-thinning medication or the presence of a bleeding disorder

8. Drug therapy with any drugs that alter skeletal muscle metabolism (i.e., Metformin, Benzodiazepines)

• Minimum Eligible Age: 19 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 30 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

University of British Columbia

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Cameron Mitchell

Principal Investigator

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Locations

Univeristy if British Columbia

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Site Status: RECRUITING

Countries

Canada

Central Contacts

Lucas A Wiens, BSc

Role: CONTACT

wiensl55@student.ubc.ca

7788377665

Cameron J Mitchell, PhD

Role: CONTACT

cameron.mitchell@ubc.ca

604 827 2072

Facility Contacts

Cameron J Mitchell, PhD

Role: primary

Cameron.mitchell@ubc.ca

6048272072

Other Identifiers

H23-01009

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id