Health TrialsbyHealthPanel

L-serine and Strength Training in the Elderly

ConditionsBrain HealthLongevityCognitive PerformanceStrength Training EffectsHealthy AgeingAgeingCognitionMemoryMuscle Strength
Trial statusRecruiting
Trial phaseNot applicable
Trial typeInterventional
Biological sexAll
Age65-85
SponsorUniversity of Vienna

About this trial

This study investigates whether taking the amino acid L-serine, either alone or in combination with targeted strength training, can have a positive effect on mental performance, brain function, and physical fitness in older people.

Healthy, independent women and men aged 65 to 85 are eligible to participate. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of three groups: placebo, L-serine, or L-serine combined with strength training.

Cognitive tests, physical performance tests, and blood and brain tests will be conducted over a period of 48 weeks. The aim is to gain a better understanding of how nutrition and exercise can contribute to healthy aging.

Eligibility criteria

This trial accepts healthy volunteers

Qualifiers

Men and women between the ages of 65 and 85

Mini-Mental-State >23

Independently mobile, without aids (walker, cane, etc.)

Disqualifiers

Chronic diseases that contraindicate medical training therapy

Regular strength training (>1x/week) in the last 6 months before confinement

Frailty Index ≥ 3

Lack of written consent to test physical performance

Trial design

Design model

Parallel

Treatments tested in this trial

  • Strength training

    Behavioral

    Structured strength training 2x/week

  • L-serine supplementation

    Dietary supplement

    L-serine supplementation 6g/day

  • Control (cornstarch)

    Dietary supplement

    Placebo 6g cornstarch/day, No strength training

Treatment groups

126 Participants
are divided into 3 treatment groups
Group A: L-serine and strength trainingExperimental treatment 2 interventions
Group B: L-serine supplementationActive comparator 1 intervention
Group C: ControlPlacebo comparator 1 intervention

Trial outcomes

Primary outcomes

1

Change in cognitive performance measured by the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS)

Global cognitive performance will be assessed using the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS), a standardized neuropsychological test battery that evaluates multiple cognitive domains including memory, attention, language, and visuospatial abilities. The primary outcome is the RBANS Total Scale Index score, which summarizes performance across the RBANS cognitive domains. RBANS index scores are standardized scores with a mean of 100 and a standard deviation of 15, typically ranging from approximately 40 to 160. Higher scores indicate better cognitive performance.

Time frame
Baseline, 18 weeks and 48 weeks of intervention

Secondary outcomes

1

Change in cognitive domain performance measured by index scores of RBANS

The RBANS provides standardized index scores (mean = 100, standard deviation = 15) that typically range from approximately 40 to 160, with higher scores indicating better cognitive performance. The following RBANS domain indices will be evaluated: Immediate Memory Index, Visuospatial/Constructional Index, Language Index, Attention Index, and Delayed Memory Index.

Time frame
Baseline, 18 weeks and 48 weeks of intervention
2

Change in hippocampal volume measured by magnetic resonance imaging (mm³)

Time frame
Baseline and 48 weeks of intervention
3

Change in hippocampal functional connectivity measured by functional magnetic resonance imaging

Time frame
Baseline and 48 weeks of intervention
4

Change in oscillatory brain activity measured using electroencephalography

Time frame
Baseline, 18 weeks and 48 weeks of intervention

Other outcomes

Sponsors and contacts

Click on the lead sponsor to view all of their trials.

University of Vienna

Lead sponsor

Medical University of Vienna

Collaborator

Source ClinicalTrials.gov
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