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NCT Number: NCT07293039

Gluteal Activation Plus Movement Retraining

The purpose of this study is to determine if an isometric gluteal activation home exercise program (HEP) combined with a movement retraining program utilizing feedback cues produces significant changes in scores on the Forward Step-Down Test (FSDT) in healthy young adults with movement coordination impairments.

Aim 1: To determine if an isometric gluteal activation HEP with a movement retraining program with feedback cues produces significant changes on scores FSDT compared to the gluteal activation HEP alone.

Aim 2: To determine if an isometric gluteal activation HEP followed with a movement retraining program with feedback cues produces significant changes on category FSDT compared to gluteal activation HEP alone.

Aim 3: To determine if an isometric gluteal activation HEP with a movement retraining program with feedback cues produces changes in the peak activation of the gluteus medius (GMed) and gluteus maximus (GMax) during the FSDT compared to the gluteal activation HEP alone.

Aim 4: To determine if an isometric gluteal activation HEP with a movement retraining program with feedback cues produces changes in the mean activation of the GMed and GMax during the FSDT compared to the gluteal activation HEP alone.

Aim 5: To determine if HEP dose has an effect on the FSDT response, as measured by change in score on the FSDT.

Active, Not Recruiting

This study is active but is not currently recruiting participants.

Key information

Conditions

Movement, Abnormal Central Nervous System Diseases Dyskinesias Lower Extremity Problem Movement Disorders Nervous System Diseases Neurologic Manifestations Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Signs and Symptoms

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

LSU Health Sciences Center at Shreveport

Shreveport, Louisiana, 71103, United States

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

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

Inclusion criteria

  • Participants must between the ages of 18 and older, if they were healthy via the Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire for Everyone (PAR-Q+), and scored a 2 or higher on the FSDT.

Exclusion criteria

  • Participants have any current knee/hip pain, past knee/hip pathology in the past 3 months on their dominant leg or that the participant believes would impact their ability to participate in the study, or any past lower extremity (LE) surgery in their dominant leg that the participant believes would impact their ability to participate in the study, a concussion in the past 3 months, or if they have any vestibular pathology.

Treatment and study plan

Control HEP focusing on isometric gluteal activation

Other

All participants will receive the HEP for hip muscle activation training. The HEP for hip musculature activation consists of five isolated hip activation exercises including side-lying clams, side-lying clams with trunk activation via side-plank, side-lying hip abduction, side-lying hip abduction with trunk activation via side-plank, and fire hydrants all of which improve hip gluteal recruitment.

After the 4th week, both groups are to return to the clinic and asked to briefly perform exercises from their HEP so that their form can be reassessed with any modifications if needed along with any questions that they may have. Each participant following the 8-week period will be scheduled to return to the clinic to turn in their compliance form and perform follow-up surface electromyography (sEMG), weight, and FSDT using the same procedures as before.

Experimental HEP focusing on isometric gluteal activation plus a movement retaining program

Other

Only participants in the experimental group will receive the movement retraining program HEP. The HEP will be a combination of single leg Romanian Deadlift (RDL), single leg squat, and standing split squat that have been used in previous research and are proved to get significant gluteus medius (Gmed) activation. They will also participate in the gluteal activation HEP program that have been proved to increase hip musculature recruitment, as performed by the control group.

After the 4th week, both groups are to return to the clinic and asked to briefly perform exercises from their HEP so that their form can be reassessed with any modifications if needed along with any questions that they may have. Each participant following the 8-week period will be scheduled to return to the clinic to turn in their compliance form and perform follow-ups sEMG, weight, and FSDT using the same procedures as before.

Primary outcomes

  1. Forward Step-Down Test (FSDT)

    Time frame: Baseline and after 8-week Home Exercise Program (HEP) intervention.

    Rating on the FSDT (0-6; 0-1 = good movement quality, 2-3 = moderate movement quality, 4 or more = poor movement quality).

Secondary outcomes

  1. Peak Maximal Volitional Isometric Contraction (MVIC) on Gluteus Maximus (GMax).

    Time frame: Baseline and after 8-week HEP intervention.

    Peak activation (percent of maximal volitional isometric contraction [%MVIC]) of GMax during performance of the FSDT

  2. Peak Maximal Volitional Isometric Contraction (MVIC) on Gluteus Medius (GMed).

    Time frame: Baseline and after 8-week HEP intervention.

    Peak activation (%MVIC) of GMed during performance of the FSDT

  3. Mean Maximal Volitional Isometric Contraction (MVIC) on Gluteus Maximus (GMax).

    Time frame: Baseline and after 8-week HEP intervention.

    Mean activation (% MVIC) of GMax during performance of the FSDT

  4. Mean Maximal Volitional Isometric Contraction (MVIC) on Gluteus Medius (GMed).

    Time frame: Baseline and after 8-week HEP intervention.

    Mean activation (% MVIC) of GMed during performance of the FSDT

  5. HEP Compliance - Dose Response Relationship with FSDT and MVIC outcomes

    Time frame: After 8-week intervention.

    Self-reported completion of each HEP session will be recorded by the participant and then returned to the investigators post-completion

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Shreveport

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Effects of Isometric Gluteal Activation Plus Movement Retraining vs. Gluteal Activation Alone on the Forward Step-Down Test

Important dates

Study start
2026
Primary completion
2026
Study completion
2026
First posted
Dec 18, 2025
Registry last updated
Jan 16, 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.

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