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NCT Number: NCT07245225

Acute Effects of High Impact Exercise on Bone Metabolism

The goal of this study is to investigate the acute effects of drop-landing exercise on the bone metabolism biomarkers and extracellular vesicles in healthy young males, in order to gain a deeper understanding of the mechanotransduction mechanisms involved in bone metabolism.

The main question aims to answer:

• Does a single bout acute drop-landing exercise change serum sclerostin, other bone signaling markers, and circulating extracellular vesicles levels?

Participants complete both the drop-landing and control trials in a randomized order, with a minimum washout period of one week between trials. During each trial, blood samples are collected at three time points: pre-, immediately post, and 1-hour post drop-landing/control exercise.

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This study is active but is not currently recruiting participants.

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Key information

Conditions

Health Adults Behavior Motor Activity

Age range

18 year–35 year

Sex eligibility

Male

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Loughborough University

Loughborough, Leicestershire, LE11 3TU, United Kingdom

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • 18-35 years old
  • Healthy
  • Male
  • Body mass index (BMI) of 18.5-29.9
  • Can understand and follow trial instructions

Exclusion criteria

  • Have any uncontrolled cardiovascular or respiratory disease
  • Have severe musculoskeletal or neurological disease likely to affect ability to perform an exercise
  • Have medical conditions known to affect musculoskeletal health
  • Have medications known to affect bone metabolism (e.g., corticosteroids, thyroxine, antiepileptic, and antiretroviral agents)
  • Regular (more than once per week) participation in high-intensity resistance or impact-type exercise in the past 6 months
  • Current smoker or vaper

Treatment and study plan

Exercise

Behavioral

During the drop-landing trial, participants perform drop-landing exercises from a block calibrated to generate approximately four times their body weight in vertical ground reaction force upon landing, employing a stiff-landing technique. Each repetition is separated by a 30-second interval, and 10 repetitions are performed as 1 set, totalling 6 sets. There is a 2-minute rest break between each set, during which the participants are asked to sit on a chair. The entire drop-landing exercise is recorded on the force plate.

During the control trial, participants are required to walk up and down from the same height block without the requirement to perform the drop-landing movement. The number of repetitions, intervals, and rest breaks are completely consistent with the drop-landing exercise.

Primary outcomes

  1. Serum sclerostin concentration

    Time frame: Blood samples are collected at pre- (baseline), immediately post, 1-hour post drop-landing/control exercise in main trials.

    Serum sclerostin concentration is quantified using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and reported in picograms per milliliter (pg/mL).

Secondary outcomes

  1. Serum dickkopf Wnt signaling pathway inhibitor 1 (DKK1) concentration

    Time frame: Blood samples are collected at pre- (baseline), immediately post, 1-hour post drop-landing/control exercise in main trials.

    Serum DKK1 concentration is quantified using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and reported in picograms per milliliter (pg/mL).

  2. Serum osteoprotegerin (OPG) concentration

    Time frame: Blood samples are collected at pre- (baseline), immediately post, 1-hour post drop-landing/control exercise in main trials.

    Serum OPG concentration is quantified using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and reported in picograms per milliliter (pg/mL).

  3. Serum irisin concentration

    Time frame: Blood samples are collected at pre- (baseline), immediately post, 1-hour post drop-landing/control exercise in main trials.

    Serum irisin concentration is quantified using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and reported in picograms per milliliter (pg/mL).

  4. Circulating extracellular vesicle (EV) particle concentration and size

    Time frame: Blood samples are collected at pre- (baseline), immediately post, 1-hour post drop-landing/control exercise in main trials.

    EVs are isolated from plasma using ultracentrifugation. EV particle concentration is quantified by nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA) and reported as particles per milliliter (particles/mL). EV size is also assessed by NTA and reported in nanometers (nm).

  5. Ground reaction force during drop-landing exercise

    Time frame: Ground reaction force is recorded during each drop-landing exercise.

    Ground reaction force is recorded in newtons (N) during each drop-landing exercise using a force plate in the drop-landing trial. Ground reaction force is reported in multiples of body weight (×BW).

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Loughborough University

Other

Registry information

Important dates

Study start
2024
Primary completion
2025
Study completion
2025
First posted
Nov 24, 2025
Registry last updated
Nov 24, 2025

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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