Acute Effects of Structured Exercise and Static Stretching on Vascular Function, Neuromuscular Performance, and Metabolic Regulation in Adults

This experimental study investigates the acute cardiovascular and vascular responses to a single session of resistance training, with and without additional static stretching, compared with a resting control condition. Participants are allocated to one of three groups (control, resistance training, resistance training plus static stretching) and assessed at baseline, immediately after the session, and 30 minutes post-exercise. Primary outcomes include blood pressure and other hemodynamic or functional measures, in order to explore the short-term impact of these exercise modalities on cardiovascular regulation.

Completed

Looking for future studies?

Notify Me

Key information

Conditions

Healthy Healthy Participants Healthy Subjects (HS) Resistance Training Adaptation Static Stretching Stretch

Age range

18 year–55 year

Sex eligibility

Male

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

University of Palermo

Palermo, 90144, Italy

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

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

Inclusion criteria

healthy male participants ≥ 18 years old

Exclusion criteria

orthopedic disorders
neurological disorders
metabolic disorders
cardovascular disorders

Treatment and study plan

Resistance training

Other

Resistance training + Static Stretching

Other

Participants assigned to this group will complete a single supervised upper body resistance training session. The protocol includes bench presses and bicep curls performed at 80% of the individual's 1-rep max, for 4 sets of 8 reps, with standardized rest intervals between sets of 2 minutes. The total duration of the session is approximately 20-25 minutes .Immediately after the resistance exercises, they will complete a structured static stretching protocol targeting the trained muscle groups (pectoralis and elbow flexors), with each stretch held for about 30 seconds and repeated for several sets. The additional stretching lasts 12 minutes, for a total session duration of about 35-40 minutes.

Primary outcomes

Flow Mediated Dilation(FMD%)

Time frame: 3 times (Baseline, immediately after intervantion and 30 minutes after intervention) for each condition (CC, RT, RT+ST)

Brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD) will be assessed using high-resolution B-mode ultrasound (Esaote MyLab X1 GO, linear transducer) during a standardized forearm cuff occlusion protocol. Baseline diameter will be recorded for 60 seconds prior to cuff deflation. Reactive hyperemia will be induced by 5-minutes arterial occlusion followed by cuff release, with continuous diameter recording for 3 minutes post-deflation to identify peak diameter.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Palermo

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Acute Effects of Structured Physical Exercise and Static Passive Stretching on Vascular Function, Neuromuscular Performance, and Metabolic Regulation: A Randomized Crossover Study

Important dates

Study start: 2025
Primary completion: 2026
Study completion: 2026
First posted: Jan 23, 2026
Registry last updated: Apr 28, 2026

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.

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.

Completed