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OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT06063135

Effects of Physical Exercise Timing On Strength and Cardiometabolic Health

Physical exercise is well known to improve human health. Current guidelines provide recommendations on the frequency, intensity, type and duration of exercise. However, they do not provide recommendations for the time of day, exercise should be performed. This is surprising considering that the influence of timing of behaviors such as sleep or nutrition as well as the impact of the circadian timing system on health are well documented. Further, there is evidence for diurnal variation in maximum performance which enables individuals to exercise with different intensities at different times of day, which in the long term might affect physical adaptations to exercise. Thus, this research study investigates if exercise timing impacts human health.

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Key information

Conditions

Physical Inactivity Behavior Sedentary Behavior

Age range

60 year–80 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

University of Basel

Basel, 4052, Switzerland

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

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

Inclusion criteria

  • BMI 18.5 - 30 kg/m2

Exclusion criteria

  • Structured resistance training within the last six months
  • Ongoing shift work
  • Irregular bedtime (> 2 hours variation in habitual bed time)
  • Smoking
  • Travels across more than two time zones within the last four weeks
  • Inability to follow the study procedures (e.g. due to language barriers, psychological disorders, dementia, etc.)
  • Known pregnancy or lactating women
  • Participation in any other clinical trial within the last four weeks
  • Medical condition that is a contra indicator for resistance training, endurance training, or exercising until maximum exhaustion including insufficiently controlled blood pressure (systolic > 170 mmHg, diastolic > 100 mmHg), ongoing cancer treatment, unstable angina pectoris, uncontrolled bradyarrhythmia or tachyarrhythmia, severe uncorrected valvular heart disease, clinically relevant acute infection, any form of musculoskeletal injury, orthopedic problems or decompensated cardiovascular disease
  • Insulin dependent diabetes
  • Participants using metformin

Treatment and study plan

Physical exercise intervention

Other

Two strength training session per week and one endurance training session per week

Primary outcomes

  1. Maximum strength

    Time frame: Pre-Intervention (i.e. 1 to 28 days before the first training session of the exercise intervention) and Post-Intervention (i.e. 1 to 28 days after the last training session of the exercise intervention)

    Mean value of the maximum isometric strength assessed at four different times of the day with an isometric mid-thigh pull on a force plate.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Glucose control

    Time frame: Pre-Intervention (i.e. 1 to 28 days before the first training session of the exercise intervention) and Post-Intervention (i.e. 1 to 28 days after the last training session of the exercise intervention)

    2-h postprandial area under the curve for glucose after an oral glucose tolerance test

  2. Body composition

    Time frame: Pre-Intervention (i.e. 1 to 28 days before the first training session of the exercise intervention) and Post-Intervention (i.e. 1 to 28 days after the last training session of the exercise intervention)

    total body fat mass assessed with DXA

  3. Cardiorespiratory fitness

    Time frame: Pre-Intervention (i.e. 1 to 28 days before the first training session of the exercise intervention) and Post-Intervention (i.e. 1 to 28 days after the last training session of the exercise intervention)

    VO2max assessed with cardiopulmonary exercise test

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Basel

Other

Registry information

Acronym: EPOCH

Important dates

Study start
2023
Primary completion
2025
Study completion
2025
First posted
Oct 2, 2023
Registry last updated
Jun 25, 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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