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NCT Number: NCT07504003

Influence of Training Session Duration on Improvements in Physiological Resilience to Exercise

During prolonged endurance exercise, certain physiological variables deteriorate depending on the duration of the exercise. Physiological resilience has therefore been defined as the ability to resist these changes and appears to be an important performance factor in endurance sports. For example, most studies in this field have investigated changes in cycling power output associated with the first ventilatory threshold (VT1), a marker of an individual's endurance capacity, after prolonged endurance exercise. To date, only two studies have examined the effects of training on resilience. The first compared the effectiveness of two training programs, one with low-intensity sessions and the other with high-intensity sessions, with no difference between the conditions. The second study showed that incorporating strength training into a running training program was more effective at improving resilience than running alone. However, the influence of training session duration on resilience remains unknown. Only one observational study has shown that in a group of runners of similar ability, those who were used to doing long sessions had better resilience than those who only did short sessions.

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Key information

Conditions

Endurance Exercise Healthy Volunteers

Age range

18 year–45 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Service de physiologie clinique et de l'exercice

Saint-Etienne, 42055, France

Location status: Recruiting

Location contact

Léonard FEASSON, PHD

CONTACT

[email protected]

(0)477120383 ext. +33

About this study

We hypothesize that at equal intensity and volume, a less frequent training consisting of long sessions would be more effective in improving physiological resilience than a more frequent training composed of short sessions.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

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

Inclusion criteria

  • Subjects who engage in rigorous cardiovascular activity (e.g., endurance sports, team sports, combat sports, etc.) for a maximum of two hours per week
  • Ability to understand, speak, read, and write French
  • Affiliated with or beneficiaries of a social security system
  • Having freely given their written consent after being informed of the purpose, procedure, and potential risks involved

Exclusion criteria

  • Subjects with chronic joint conditions (e.g., recurrent sprains, patellar or ligament problems).
  • Subjects with one or more heart conditions, including ischemic, valvular, arrhythmic, hypertensive, congenital, or hypertrophic heart disease.
  • Participants under guardianship or conservatorship.
  • Subjects with chronic or central neurological conditions.
  • Subjects who report having taken products prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency.
  • Pregnant or breastfeeding women.
  • Subjects who are unable to understand the purpose and conditions of the study and unable to give their consent.
  • Persons deprived of their liberty by judicial or administrative decision, persons receiving psychiatric care under Articles L. 3212-1 and L. 3213-1 who are not covered by the provisions of Article L. 1121-8, and persons admitted to a health or social care facility for purposes other than research.

Treatment and study plan

Long sessions

Other

Training frequency of 2 long sessions per week

Short sessions

Other

Training frequency of 5 short sessions per week

Primary outcomes

  1. Power (watt) output at ventilatory threshold 1 (VT1)

    Time frame: At inclusion, Day 80.

    the power (Watt) output at the VT1 measured by the difference of the power output (% decrease after 4 hours of cycling) between measurements taken before and after a training program. The results will be compared between group benefiting from long sessions and group from short sessions

Secondary outcomes

  1. a) Degree of change in heart rate (beats per minute),

    Time frame: Day 7, Day 85

    Degree of changes in heart rate (beats per minute) during a 4-hour endurance cycling session, as measured by a heart rate monitor. The results will be compared between group benefiting from long sessions and group from short sessions

  2. Rate of change in oxygen consumption (in L of O₂/min)

    Time frame: Day 7, Day 85

    the rate of change in oxygen consumption (in L O₂/min) during a prolonged 4-hour endurance cycling exercise, quantified by measuring gas exchange (calculated using the equations of Jeukendrup and Wallis). The results will be compared between group benefiting from long sessions and group from short sessions

  3. b) The Power (watt) output at ventilatory threshold 2 (VT2)

    Time frame: At inclusion, Day 80.

    the power (Watt) output at the VT2 measured by the difference of the power output (% decrease after 4 hours of cycling) between measurements taken before and after a training program. The results will be compared between group benefiting from long sessions and group from short sessions

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Léonard FEASSON, PHD

CONTACT

[email protected]

(0)477120383 ext. +33

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Saint Etienne

Other

Registry information

Acronym: RED

Important dates

Study start
2026
Primary completion
2028
Study completion
2029
First posted
Mar 31, 2026
Registry last updated
Apr 14, 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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