Effects of Different Exercises on Energy Metabolism and Muscle Activation in Normal-Weight and Overweight Students

NCT ID: NCT07147985

Last Updated: 2025-08-29

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

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

38 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2025-07-01

Study Completion Date

2025-07-21

Brief Summary

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This clinical trial aims to investigate the effects of different exercise modalities on energy metabolism and muscle activation in both normal-weight and overweight university students.

The main question it aims to answer is:

Compared to normal-weight university students, does slow jogging at different step frequencies reduce body weight and increase energy expenditure (and metabolic rate) in overweight university students? Compared to normal-weight university students, does slow jogging at different step frequencies enhance muscle activation effects in overweight university students?

Researchers will compare three distinct step frequencies during slow jogging (162, 180, and 198 steps per minute) to determine which exercise modality is potentially more effective for increasing energy expenditure and metabolic rate.

Participants will:

Participants will sequentially undergo three separate testing sessions, each involving ultra-slow running at one of the three step frequencies (162, 180, or 198 steps per minute).

Testing sessions will occur once per week in the laboratory.

Detailed Description

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Conditions

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Energy Expenditure

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

CROSSOVER

Primary Study Purpose

PREVENTION

Blinding Strategy

SINGLE

Outcome Assessors

Study Groups

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Step frequency group 1

Participants will receive step frequency in the following order:

First test: 162 steps per minute; Second test: 180 steps per minute; Third test: 198 steps per minute.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

162 step frequency

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

The exercise protocol lasted 21 minutes, comprising a 10-minute period of slow-pace running, preceded by a 3-minute quiet resting period and a 3-minute warm-up, and followed by a 5-minute recovery period after the warm-up and slow-pace running. 162 steps per minute crossover to 180 steps per minute and 198 steps per minute.

180 step frequency

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

The exercise protocol lasted 21 minutes, comprising a 10-minute period of slow-pace running, preceded by a 3-minute quiet resting period and a 3-minute warm-up, and followed by a 5-minute recovery period after the warm-up and slow-pace running. 180 steps per minute crossover to 162 steps per minute and 198 steps per minute.

198 step frequency

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

The exercise protocol lasted 21 minutes, comprising a 10-minute period of slow-pace running, preceded by a 3-minute quiet resting period and a 3-minute warm-up, and followed by a 5-minute recovery period after the warm-up and slow-pace running. 198 steps per minute crossover to 162 steps per minute and 180 steps per minute.

Step frequency group 2

Participants will receive step frequency in the following order:

First test: 162 steps per minute; Second test: 198 steps per minute; Third test: 180 steps per minute.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

162 step frequency

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

The exercise protocol lasted 21 minutes, comprising a 10-minute period of slow-pace running, preceded by a 3-minute quiet resting period and a 3-minute warm-up, and followed by a 5-minute recovery period after the warm-up and slow-pace running. 162 steps per minute crossover to 180 steps per minute and 198 steps per minute.

180 step frequency

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

The exercise protocol lasted 21 minutes, comprising a 10-minute period of slow-pace running, preceded by a 3-minute quiet resting period and a 3-minute warm-up, and followed by a 5-minute recovery period after the warm-up and slow-pace running. 180 steps per minute crossover to 162 steps per minute and 198 steps per minute.

198 step frequency

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

The exercise protocol lasted 21 minutes, comprising a 10-minute period of slow-pace running, preceded by a 3-minute quiet resting period and a 3-minute warm-up, and followed by a 5-minute recovery period after the warm-up and slow-pace running. 198 steps per minute crossover to 162 steps per minute and 180 steps per minute.

Step frequency group 3

Participants will receive step frequency in the following order: First test: 180 steps per minute; Second test: 162 steps per minute; Third test: 198 steps per minute.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

162 step frequency

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

The exercise protocol lasted 21 minutes, comprising a 10-minute period of slow-pace running, preceded by a 3-minute quiet resting period and a 3-minute warm-up, and followed by a 5-minute recovery period after the warm-up and slow-pace running. 162 steps per minute crossover to 180 steps per minute and 198 steps per minute.

180 step frequency

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

The exercise protocol lasted 21 minutes, comprising a 10-minute period of slow-pace running, preceded by a 3-minute quiet resting period and a 3-minute warm-up, and followed by a 5-minute recovery period after the warm-up and slow-pace running. 180 steps per minute crossover to 162 steps per minute and 198 steps per minute.

198 step frequency

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

The exercise protocol lasted 21 minutes, comprising a 10-minute period of slow-pace running, preceded by a 3-minute quiet resting period and a 3-minute warm-up, and followed by a 5-minute recovery period after the warm-up and slow-pace running. 198 steps per minute crossover to 162 steps per minute and 180 steps per minute.

Step frequency group 4

Participants will receive step frequency in the following order:

First test: 180 steps per minute; Second test: 198 steps per minute; Third test: 162 steps per minute.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

162 step frequency

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

The exercise protocol lasted 21 minutes, comprising a 10-minute period of slow-pace running, preceded by a 3-minute quiet resting period and a 3-minute warm-up, and followed by a 5-minute recovery period after the warm-up and slow-pace running. 162 steps per minute crossover to 180 steps per minute and 198 steps per minute.

180 step frequency

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

The exercise protocol lasted 21 minutes, comprising a 10-minute period of slow-pace running, preceded by a 3-minute quiet resting period and a 3-minute warm-up, and followed by a 5-minute recovery period after the warm-up and slow-pace running. 180 steps per minute crossover to 162 steps per minute and 198 steps per minute.

198 step frequency

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

The exercise protocol lasted 21 minutes, comprising a 10-minute period of slow-pace running, preceded by a 3-minute quiet resting period and a 3-minute warm-up, and followed by a 5-minute recovery period after the warm-up and slow-pace running. 198 steps per minute crossover to 162 steps per minute and 180 steps per minute.

Step frequency group 5

Participants will receive step frequency in the following order:

First test: 198 steps per minute; Second test: 162 steps per minute; Third test: 180 steps per minute.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

162 step frequency

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

The exercise protocol lasted 21 minutes, comprising a 10-minute period of slow-pace running, preceded by a 3-minute quiet resting period and a 3-minute warm-up, and followed by a 5-minute recovery period after the warm-up and slow-pace running. 162 steps per minute crossover to 180 steps per minute and 198 steps per minute.

180 step frequency

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

The exercise protocol lasted 21 minutes, comprising a 10-minute period of slow-pace running, preceded by a 3-minute quiet resting period and a 3-minute warm-up, and followed by a 5-minute recovery period after the warm-up and slow-pace running. 180 steps per minute crossover to 162 steps per minute and 198 steps per minute.

198 step frequency

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

The exercise protocol lasted 21 minutes, comprising a 10-minute period of slow-pace running, preceded by a 3-minute quiet resting period and a 3-minute warm-up, and followed by a 5-minute recovery period after the warm-up and slow-pace running. 198 steps per minute crossover to 162 steps per minute and 180 steps per minute.

Step frequency group 6

Participants will receive step frequency in the following order:

First test: 198 steps per minute; Second test: 180 steps per minute; Third test: 162 steps per minute.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

162 step frequency

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

The exercise protocol lasted 21 minutes, comprising a 10-minute period of slow-pace running, preceded by a 3-minute quiet resting period and a 3-minute warm-up, and followed by a 5-minute recovery period after the warm-up and slow-pace running. 162 steps per minute crossover to 180 steps per minute and 198 steps per minute.

180 step frequency

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

The exercise protocol lasted 21 minutes, comprising a 10-minute period of slow-pace running, preceded by a 3-minute quiet resting period and a 3-minute warm-up, and followed by a 5-minute recovery period after the warm-up and slow-pace running. 180 steps per minute crossover to 162 steps per minute and 198 steps per minute.

198 step frequency

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

The exercise protocol lasted 21 minutes, comprising a 10-minute period of slow-pace running, preceded by a 3-minute quiet resting period and a 3-minute warm-up, and followed by a 5-minute recovery period after the warm-up and slow-pace running. 198 steps per minute crossover to 162 steps per minute and 180 steps per minute.

Interventions

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162 step frequency

The exercise protocol lasted 21 minutes, comprising a 10-minute period of slow-pace running, preceded by a 3-minute quiet resting period and a 3-minute warm-up, and followed by a 5-minute recovery period after the warm-up and slow-pace running. 162 steps per minute crossover to 180 steps per minute and 198 steps per minute.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

180 step frequency

The exercise protocol lasted 21 minutes, comprising a 10-minute period of slow-pace running, preceded by a 3-minute quiet resting period and a 3-minute warm-up, and followed by a 5-minute recovery period after the warm-up and slow-pace running. 180 steps per minute crossover to 162 steps per minute and 198 steps per minute.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

198 step frequency

The exercise protocol lasted 21 minutes, comprising a 10-minute period of slow-pace running, preceded by a 3-minute quiet resting period and a 3-minute warm-up, and followed by a 5-minute recovery period after the warm-up and slow-pace running. 198 steps per minute crossover to 162 steps per minute and 180 steps per minute.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

1. Aged 18 to 23 years old;
2. BMI between 24.0 kg/m² and 27.9 kg/m² ;
3. No participation in any structured weight loss or weight control interventions (including exercise programs, pharmacological agents, or dietary regimens) within the preceding three months;
4. Cleared for exercise participation with no identified risks, as determined by the Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PAR-Q);
5. Willing and able to comply fully with the experimental protocol, including completion of all training sessions and required measurements;
6. Provision of written informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria

1. History of psychiatric disorders, diabetes mellitus, heart disease, hypertension, anemia, or any other contraindications to exercise (e.g., dizziness, chest pain, shortness of breath);
2. Immune dysfunction or severe hepatic or renal insufficiency;
3. Unhealthy habits, such as regular smoking or excessive alcohol consumption;
4. Current use of prescription medication (excluding contraceptives or incidental short-term medications, if specified and approved by the study investigators);
5. Coagulation disorders or a significant bleeding tendency.

Withdrawal and Termination Criteria:

1. Voluntary withdrawal from the study or discontinuation for any other reason;
2. Poor compliance, defined as failure to follow instructions or complete assigned tasks as required by the protocol;
3. Experiencing severe exercise intolerance or adverse reactions to the intervention.
Minimum Eligible Age

19 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

23 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

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Shanxi Normal University

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Haiwei Li

Professor

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Locations

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Shanxi Normal University

Taiyuan, Shanxi, China

Site Status

Countries

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China

Other Identifiers

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2025-0505

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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