Enhancing Strength Gains With the Power of the Mind

NCT ID: NCT06099678

Last Updated: 2023-12-11

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

45 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2023-11-01

Study Completion Date

2024-11-01

Brief Summary

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The goal of this clinical trial is to determine the effect of maximal mental effort combined with elastic band training on strength and neuromuscular function in healthy, older females. The main questions it aims to answer are:

* Does elastic band training in combination with maximal mental effort increase strength more than elastic band training alone?
* Does elastic band training in combination with maximal mental effort improve neuromuscular function more than elastic band training alone?

Participants will be randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups:

* Elastic band training
* Elastic band training with maximal mental effort
* Control

Researchers will compare groups to determine differences in changes in strength, neuromuscular function, and body composition.

Detailed Description

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Participants in both training groups will perform 6 weeks of moderate intensity, whole-body elastic band training. Participants in the control group will participate in all testing procedures but not perform any training. Participants from both groups will be instructed to maintain their normal physical activity levels and dietary habits.

All training sessions will be home-based and virtually supervised by research personnel. Participants will complete 2 training sessions in the first week and 3 training sessions per week for the remaining 5 weeks. Each training session will last about 45-60 minutes and consist of 7 exercises performed in the same order by each participant, including both multi-joint (chair squat, chest press, leg press, back row) and single-joint (knee extension, knee flexion, elbow flexion) exercises. Participants will perform 12 repetitions for each exercise for the first 3 weeks, then volume will be increased by progressing to 4 sets for the remaining 3 weeks. There will be a 60-second rest interval between sets and a similar tempo will be used between groups.

Both training groups will perform the same training protocol, but participants in the maximal mental effort group will mentally urge their muscles to contract maximally during each repetition. That is, despite using a moderate intensity, participants will imagine the feeling of maximal muscle contraction of the primary muscles during each repetition.

Several measures of strength, neuromuscular function, physical function, and body composition will be measured before and after the training or control period.

Conditions

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Healthy

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Two intervention groups will perform different types of elastic band training, and a control group will not perform any elastic band training.
Primary Study Purpose

OTHER

Blinding Strategy

SINGLE

Participants
The mental effort aspect of the study will be concealed from subjects, so they will not be aware of any difference between training groups.

Study Groups

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Elastic Band Training

This group will perform moderate intensity, whole-body elastic band training.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Elastic Band Training

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

This training intervention will be 6 weeks of moderate-intensity elastic band training, including whole-body and isolated muscle exercises.

Elastic Band Training with Maximal Mental Effort

This group will perform moderate intensity, whole-body elastic band training with maximal mental effort during muscle contraction.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Elastic Band Training with Maximal Mental Effort

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

This training intervention will be 6 weeks of moderate-intensity elastic band training, including whole-body and isolated muscle exercises, where participants will perform maximal mental effort by imagining maximal muscle contraction during each exercise.

Control

This group will not perform any training and maintain their regular level of physical activity.

Group Type NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

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Elastic Band Training

This training intervention will be 6 weeks of moderate-intensity elastic band training, including whole-body and isolated muscle exercises.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Elastic Band Training with Maximal Mental Effort

This training intervention will be 6 weeks of moderate-intensity elastic band training, including whole-body and isolated muscle exercises, where participants will perform maximal mental effort by imagining maximal muscle contraction during each exercise.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Between 65-79 years of age
* Female
* Have not engaged in structured exercise for 3 years
* Are not reliant upon a walking aid
* Be able to rise from a chair unassisted
* BMI between 25-33 kg/m²
* Have access to the internet and access to a smartphone or computer with a camera at home

Exclusion Criteria

* Any history of cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, or metabolic diseases
* Musculoskeletal injury within the past 6 months
* Any condition affecting muscle function
* Uncontrolled hypertension
* Score less than 23 on the Mini-mental State Exam
* Upon starting study, missing more than 2 training session
Minimum Eligible Age

65 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

79 Years

Eligible Sex

FEMALE

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

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Kennesaw State University

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Garrett Hester

Associate Professor of Exercise Science

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Garrett Hester, Ph.D.

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Kennesaw State University

Locations

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Kennesaw State University

Kennesaw, Georgia, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

Kennesaw State University

Kennesaw, Georgia, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

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United States

Central Contacts

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Garrett Hester, Ph.D.

Role: CONTACT

Phone: 470-578-4267

Email: [email protected]

Facility Contacts

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Garrett Hester, Ph.D.

Role: primary

Garrett M Hester, Ph.D.

Role: primary

Other Identifiers

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2024-Harper

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id