Use of Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation to Prevent Exercise Resistance

NCT ID: NCT07161648

Last Updated: 2025-11-14

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: RECRUITING
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 30 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2024-10-17
• Study Completion Date: 2026-09-30

Brief Summary

The study will find out if 100 minutes of electrical stimulation of muscle prevents the unfavorable consequence of insufficient exercise.

Detailed Description

Exercise resistance is characterized by the absence of exercise induced improvements in fat metabolism following a meal, and results from prolonged sedentary behavior between successive workouts (i.e. 2+ sedentary days between exercise bouts). The suggested energy expenditure threshold for avoiding exercise resistance is the equivalent of walking ~8,500 steps/day. However, population data indicate that the typical adult in the US only walks 5,000 steps/day (i.e. 3,500 steps below the threshold). Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation (NMES) evokes skeletal muscle contractions and increases energy expenditure. The hypothesis to be explored in this current proposal is: NMES will prevent exercise resistance. The plan is to induce exercise resistance via short-term abstention from activity other than exercise, and then on a separate occasion, use NMES to prevent exercise resistance (i.e. the short-term abstention from exercise will be "replaced" with NMES).

Conditions

Fat Metabolism

Study Design

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

Study Groups

Establishing the normal benefit of exercise

Study participants will complete treadmill exercise. During the same day, they will walk a minimum of 8,500 steps. The next day, fat oxidation will be measured after eating a high-fat meal.

Group Type: NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Demonstrating exercise resistance

Study participants will complete treadmill exercise. They will walk no more than 5,000 steps on the same day. The next day, fat oxidation will be measured after eating a high-fat meal.

Group Type: NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Trying to prevent exercise resistance

Study participants will complete treadmill exercise. They will walk no more than 5,000 steps on the same day. They will receive 100 minutes of neuromuscular electrical stimulation. The next day, fat oxidation will be measured after eating a high-fat meal.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

neuromuscular electrical stimulation

Intervention Type: OTHER

The study participants will engage in 100-minutes of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES). NMES pads are sticky pieces of plastic, similar in size to a 25-cent coin. The pads will be placed on the bellies of thigh muscles (the vastus lateralis, vastus medialis), and calf muscles (the long and short head of the gastrocnemius). These skeletal muscles are selected due to their size (thereby promoting a bigger increase for metabolic rate compared with a small muscle), because they are relatively superficial, and because previous published studies of NMES used these anatomical locations.

Interventions

neuromuscular electrical stimulation

The study participants will engage in 100-minutes of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES). NMES pads are sticky pieces of plastic, similar in size to a 25-cent coin. The pads will be placed on the bellies of thigh muscles (the vastus lateralis, vastus medialis), and calf muscles (the long and short head of the gastrocnemius). These skeletal muscles are selected due to their size (thereby promoting a bigger increase for metabolic rate compared with a small muscle), because they are relatively superficial, and because previous published studies of NMES used these anatomical locations.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Regularly active (more than 30 minutes of exercise per day, 3 days per week, over the previous 12 months)
• Ability to complete at least one hour of treadmill exercise (i.e. jogging/running),
• Willing to abstain from caffeine and alcohol for 24-hours prior to three different study visits
• Competency in English

Exclusion Criteria

• Current or previous injuries that may hinder a participant's ability to exercise on a treadmill
• A history of cardiopulmonary disorder that may be contra-indicative to treadmill exercise
• Current use of cardio-pulmonary medication to treat a cardio-pulmonary condition
• Currently breastfeeding
• Pregnancy

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 40 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

Colorado State University

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Christopher Bell

Associate Prof

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Christopher Bell, Ph.D.

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Colorado State University

Locations

Colorado State University

Fort Collins, Colorado, United States

Site Status: RECRUITING

Countries

United States

Central Contacts

Christopher Bell, PhD

Role: CONTACT

christopher.bell@colostate.edu

970-491-7522

Ally Tripure, B.S.

Role: CONTACT

a.tripure@colostate.edu

9704913495

Facility Contacts

Christopher Bell

Role: primary

physiology@colostate.edu

9704917522

Ally Tripure

Role: backup

physiology@colostate.edu

9704913495

Other Identifiers

5208

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id