Mental Effort During Low Load Resistance Training in Older Adults
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- The protocol lists: Low Intensity Resistance Training with Maximal Mental Effort, Low Intensity Resistance Training.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Seniors, Old Age, Sarcopenia. Basic parameters: 65 years — 85 years · All.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- United States
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
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Official title
The Effect of Maximal Mental Effort During Resistance Training on Physical Function and Motor Unit Behavior in Older Adults
Overview
The goal of this clinical trial is to determine the effect of maximal mental effort combined with low-intensity resistance training on strength and neuromuscular function in older adults. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Does low-intensity resistance training in combination with maximal mental effort increase strength more than low intensity resistance training alone? * Does low-intensity resistance training in combination with maximal mental effort improve neuromuscular function more than low intensity resistance training alone? Participants will be randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups: * Low intensity resistance training * Low intensity resistance training with maximal mental effort * Control Researchers will compare groups to determine differences in changes in strength, neuromuscular function, and body composition.
Detailed description
Participants in both training groups will perform 8 weeks of low intensity, whole-body resistance training. Participants in the control group will participate in all testing procedures but not perform any training. Participants from all groups will be instructed to otherwise maintain their normal physical activity levels and dietary habits.
All training sessions will be supervised by research personnel at a Kennesaw State University fitness center. Participants will complete 2 training sessions per week for 8 weeks. Each training session will last about 45-60 minutes and consist of 5 exercises, including both multi-joint (leg press, chest press, back row) and single-joint (knee extension, bicep curl) exercises. Participants will perform 2 sets of 15 repetitions for each exercise for the first 2 weeks, then volume will be increased by progressing to 3 sets for the remaining 6 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 low 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.
Interventions
- Behavioral Low Intensity Resistance Training with Maximal Mental Effort
This training intervention will be 8 weeks of low intensity resistance training, including whole-body and isolated muscle exercises, where participants will perform maximal mental effort by imagining maximal muscle contraction during each exercise. - Behavioral Low Intensity Resistance Training
This training intervention will be 8 weeks of low intensity resistance training, including whole-body and isolated muscle exercises.
Primary outcome measures
- Change in isokinetic strength of the knee extensors at 60 degrees per second [Time frame: Baseline, Week 8]
Secondary outcome measures (12)
- Change in isokinetic knee extensor muscle activation as measured by electromyography amplitude [Time frame: Baseline, Week 8]
- Change in isometric knee extensor strength as measured by newton-meters of torque [Time frame: Baseline, Week 8]
- Change in knee extensor muscle activation as measured by electromyography amplitude [Time frame: Baseline, Week 8]
- Change in motor unit firing rate as measured relative to the motor unit recruitment threshold [Time frame: Baseline, Week 8]
- Change in motor unit action potential size as measured relative to the motor unit recruitment threshold [Time frame: Baseline, Week 8]
- Change in handgrip strength as measured in kilograms of force [Time frame: Baseline, Week 8]
- Change in walking speed as measured by time taken to walk 4 meters [Time frame: Baseline, Week 8]
- Change in chair rise performance as measured by number of chair rises performed in 30 seconds [Time frame: Baseline, Week 8]
- Change in bicep curl strength as measured by load lifted in pounds [Time frame: Baseline, Week 8]
- Change in dynamic strength of the lower body muscles during the leg press as measured by load lifted in pounds for 5 repetitions [Time frame: Baseline, Week 5, Week 8]
- Change in muscle composition as measured by ultrasound-derived grey-scale analysis [Time frame: Baseline, Week 8]
- Change in skeletal muscle size as measured by ultrasound-derived cross-sectional area [Time frame: Baseline, Week 8]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
- Body mass index between 18.5 - 33 kg·m2
- No structured physical activity in past 2 years
- Any unstable condition contradicting exercise
- Independently walk with or without assistive device
- No significant cognitive impairment
Exclusion criteria
- Score of 22 or lower on Montreal Cognitive Assessment
- Missing more than 3 training sessions (training groups only)
- Pacemaker
- Unstable angina
- Symptomatic heart failure
- Uncontrolled arrythmias
- Uncontrolled hypertension (greater or equal to 160/90)
- Myocardial infarction in the past 6 months
- Uncontrolled type 2 diabetes
- Type 1 diabetes
- Severe or unstable pulmonary conditions,
- Currently on supplemental oxygen therapy
- Severe hearing loss or visual impairment
- Alzheimer's Disease or significant cognitive impairment
- Stroke in the past 6 months or ongoing stroke-induced motor impairment
- Any neurological (e.g., Parkinson's) condition affecting motor control
- Undergoing chemotherapy
- Surgery in past 6 months
- Musculoskeletal injury in the past 6 months
- Terminal illness
- Stage 3 or greater chronic kidney disease
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: Yes
Study design
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Model
- Parallel assignment
- Masking
- Single blind
- Primary purpose
- Other
Study locations
United States · 1 center
- Kennesaw State University — Kennesaw
Identifiers
NCT: NCT07687316 · 2026-Hester