Neural Adaptations to Metronome-Paced Strength Training
ConditionHealthy
Trial statusRecruiting
Trial phaseNot applicable
Trial typeInterventional
Biological sexMale
Age18-40
SponsorEgas Moniz - Cooperativa de Ensino Superior, CRL
About this trial
The aim of the study is to investigate the effects of incorporating variability within Resistance Training (RT) methods on the neural adaptations along the corticospinal tract and on neuromuscular function. The literature suggests that RTis one of the most common modalities to enhance and restore muscle function and its practice results in adaptation in neural and morphological adaptations. It is also known that conditions such as ageing and injury have a negative impact on neural drive to the muscles with consequences at motor control level that are not addressed by traditional RT. Recent approaches such as metronome paced strength training have been used to cover this motor control dimension through a greater control and consciousness of movement. However, this methodology tends not to incorporate the inherent variability and complex, fractal-like fluctuations that characterize human movement. The investigators propose that incorporating variability through a fractal-like metronome approach will speed up the neural adaptations which will be useful in injury rehab.
Eligibility criteria
This trial accepts healthy volunteersQualifiers
aged between 18 and 40 years
Disqualifiers
Neurologic conditions;
Lower limb disabilities or disease;
Not able to provide informed consent;
Have an implanted device (e.g. pacemakers) or any metal in the body;
Trial design
Design model
Parallel
Treatments tested in this trial
Fractal Paced
Other interventionThe intervention consists in a metronome-paced strength training session performed 3 times per week (with 48h of rest between sessions), during 4 weeks. Each session consists in 4 sets of 15 repetitions at 65% of the one-repetition maximal (1RM) in single leg extension machine, synchronizing each repetition with fractal external cues presented by a visual metronome. The rest between sets will be set at 2 minutes of rest between sets.
Isochronous Paced
Other interventionThe intervention consists in a metronome-paced strength training session performed 3 times per week (with 48h of rest between sessions), during 4 weeks. Each session consists in 4 sets of 15 repetitions at 65% of the one-repetition maximal (1RM) single in leg extension machine, synchronizing each repetition with isochronus external cues presented by a visual metronome. The rest between sets will be set at 2 minutes of rest between sets.
Self Paced
Other interventionThe intervention consists in a metronome-paced strength training session performed 3 times per week (with 48h of rest between sessions), during 4 weeks. Each session consists in 4 sets of 15 repetitions at 65% of the one-repetition maximal (1RM) in single leg extension machine, at their own self pace (with no metronome). The rest between sets will be set at 2 minutes of rest between sets.
Treatment groups
60 Participants
are divided into 3 treatment groupsGroup A: Fractal PacedExperimental treatment 1 intervention
Group B: Isochronous PacedExperimental treatment 1 intervention
Group C: Self PacedExperimental treatment 1 intervention
Trial outcomes
Primary outcomes
1
Corticospinal Excitability (CSE) changes across the 4-weeks intervention (PRE to Week1, Week 2, Week 3, POST and follow-up) both within and between Fractal paced, Isochronus Paced and Self paced groups
CSE is a parameter extracted through the application of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS). This parameter provides information regarding the level of excitability of the corticospinal tract.
Time frame
PRE (baseline), W1 (week 1), W2 (week 2), W3 (week 3), POST (week 4), FUP (follow-up 4 weeks after the end of intervention)2
Short-interval Intracortical Inhibition (SICI) changes across the 4-weeks intervention (PRE to Week1, Week 2, Week 3, POST and follow-up) both within and between Fractal paced, Isochronus Paced and Self paced groups
SICI is a parameter extracted through the application of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS). This parameter provides information regarding the level of inhibition within the motor cortex.
Time frame
PRE (baseline), W1 (week 1), W2 (week 2), W3 (week 3), POST (week 4), FUP (follow-up 4 weeks after the end of intervention)3
Corticospinal Silent Period (CSP) changes across the 4-weeks intervention (PRE to Week1, Week 2, Week 3, POST and follow-up) both within and between Fractal paced, Isochronus Paced and Self paced groups
CSP is a parameter extracted through the application of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS). This parameter provides information regarding the level of inhibition along the corticospinal tract.
Time frame
PRE (baseline), W1 (week 1), W2 (week 2), W3 (week 3), POST (week 4), FUP (follow-up 4 weeks after the end of intervention)4
Intracortical Facilitation (ICF) changes across the 4-weeks intervention (PRE to Week1, Week 2, Week 3, POST and follow-up) both within and between Fractal paced, Isochronus Paced and Self paced groups
ICF is a parameter extracted through the application of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS). This parameter provides information regarding the level of facilitation within the motor cortex.
Time frame
PRE (baseline), W1 (week 1), W2 (week 2), W3 (week 3), POST (week 4), FUP (follow-up 4 weeks after the end of intervention)Secondary outcomes
1
Single leg extension 1RM changes after 4-weeks intervention (PRE to POST and follow-up) both within and between Fractal paced, Isochronus Paced and Self paced groups
Single leg 1RM is defined as the maximal load that each participant mobilized in a single maximum dynamic knee extension.
Time frame
PRE (baseline), POST (week 4), FUP (follow-up 4 weeks after the end of intervention)2
Maximal Voluntary Isometric Contraction (MVIC) changes across the 4-weeks intervention (PRE to Week1, Week 2, Week 3, POST and follow-up) both within and between Fractal paced, Isochronus Paced and Self paced groups
MVIC is defined as the maximal force an individual can produce against an immovable resistance
Time frame
PRE (baseline), W1 (week 1), W2 (week 2), W3 (week 3), POST (week 4), FUP (follow-up 4 weeks after the end of intervention)3
Sample Entropy (SampEn) changes across the 4-weeks intervention (PRE to Week1, Week 2, Week 3, POST and follow-up) both within and between Fractal paced, Isochronus Paced and Self paced groups
SampEn is a non-linear measure of the temporal structure of force output, being an indicator of the regularity of this physiological output. It is obtained from sustained submaximal isometric contractions and it has been proposed as an indirect index of the capacity of the neuromuscular system to adapt the force output to changes in environment, i.e., its adaptability.
Time frame
PRE (baseline), W1 (week 1), W2 (week 2), W3 (week 3), POST (week 4), FUP (follow-up 4 weeks after the end of intervention)4
Coefficient ov variation (CV) changes across the 4-weeks intervention (PRE to Week1, Week 2, Week 3, POST and follow-up) both within and between Fractal paced, Isochronus Paced and Self paced groups
CV is a common linear measure that translates the amount of variability within the signal and is calculated through the standard deviation normalised to the mean of a time series
Time frame
PRE (baseline), W1 (week 1), W2 (week 2), W3 (week 3), POST (week 4), FUP (follow-up 4 weeks after the end of intervention)Sponsors and contacts
Click on the lead sponsor to view all of their trials.
Egas Moniz - Cooperativa de Ensino Superior, CRL
Lead sponsor
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
Collaborator
Source ClinicalTrials.gov