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Completed

NCT Number: NCT04637178

Predicting the Efficacy of Resistance Exercise Training for Improving Endurance Performance

The overall objective of the study is to identify molecular determinants of the efficacy of resistance training for improving endruance performance in elite cyclists

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Key information

Conditions

Elite Cyclists

Age range

18 year–45 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences

Lillehammer, Inland Norway, 2613, Norway

About this study

For elite endurance athletes, the addition of resistance training to habitual endurance training routines generally leads to improved endurance performance. However, this is not always the case, with several individuals failing to respond in the expected manner. This inter-individual variation is likely associated with inherent cellular and molecular charateristics of skeletal muscle. Indeed, responses to resistance training seem to be associated with muscle biological characteristics such as muscle fiber composition and ribosomal content (during the early phase of resistance training).

The study will investigate the association between muscle fibre composition (type I vs type II muscle fiber proportions) / ribosomal content in m. vastus lateralis and the effects of 10 weeks of resistance training on endurance performance in 52 elite cyclists. Half the participants will perform resistance training in addition to their habitual endurance training routines, the other half will perform endurance training-only. Muscle biopsies will be sampled from m. vastus lateralis before and after the first two weeks of the intervention. For muscle fiber composition, the hypothesis is that larger proportions of type II fibers will be associated with more pronounced benefits of resistance training. For ribosomal content, the hypothesis is that higher rRNA content at baseline and larger increases in rRNA content during the initial part of the intervention will be associated with more pronounced benefits of resistance training. No changes are expected in the non-resistance training control group.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

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

Inclusion criteria

  • VO2max > 65 ml/kg/min (male participants)
  • VO2max > 50 ml/kg/min (female participants)
  • >7 hours of endurance training per week for the 6 months leading up to the study

Exclusion criteria

  • having conducted regular resistance training for the last 6 months leading up to the study

Treatment and study plan

Resistance training

Behavioral

Resistance training sessions twice a week for ten weeks

Other names: Heavy-load strength training

Endurance training (habitual)

Behavioral

Endurance training for ten weeks (habitual routines)

Primary outcomes

  1. Performance during a 40-minute all-out cycling test

    Time frame: Changes from before the intervention to immediately after the intervention

    Mean power output measured during a 40-minute all-out cycling test

  2. Performance during a 15-minute all-out cycling test

    Time frame: Changes from before the intervention to immediately after the intervention

    Mean power output measured during a 15-minute all-out cycling test

Secondary outcomes

  1. Total RNA in muscle tissue (before intervention)

    Time frame: Before the intervention

    Total RNA content in m. vastus lateralis (ug per mg tissue)

  2. Total RNA in muscle tissue (changes after two weeks)

    Time frame: Changes from before the intervention to immediately after the initial two weeks of resistance training

    Total RNA content in m. vastus lateralis (ug per mg tissue)

  3. Muscle fiber proportions (before intervention)

    Time frame: Before the intervention

    Muscle fiber proportions in m. vastus lateralis measured using immunohistochemistry

  4. Muscle fiber proportions (changes after two weeks)

    Time frame: Changes from before the intervention to immediately after the initial two weeks of resistance training

    Muscle fiber proportions in m. vastus lateralis measured using immunohistochemistry

  5. Muscle fiber cross-sectional area (before intervention)

    Time frame: Before the intervention

    Cross-sectional area of muscle fibres in m. vastus lateralis measured using immunohistochemistry

  6. Muscle fiber cross-sectional area (changes after two weeks)

    Time frame: Changes from before the intervention to immediately after the initial two weeks of resistance training

    Cross-sectional area of muscle fibres in m. vastus lateralis measured using immunohistochemistry

  7. Myonuclear number (before intervention)

    Time frame: Before the intervention

    Myonuclei per muscle fiber in m. vastus lateralis measured using immunohistochemistry

  8. Myonuclear number (changes after two weeks)

    Time frame: Changes from before the intervention to immediately after the initial two weeks of resistance training

    Myonuclei per muscle fiber in m. vastus lateralis measured using immunohistochemistry

  9. rRNA expression (before intervention)

    Time frame: Before the intervention

    rRNA abundances in m. vastus lateralis measured using qPCR

  10. rRNA expression (changes after two weeks)

    Time frame: Changes from before the intervention to immediately after the initial two weeks of resistance training

    rRNA abundances in m. vastus lateralis measured using qPCR

  11. mRNA expression (before intervention)

    Time frame: Before the intervention

    mRNA abundances in m. vastus lateralis measured using qPCR

  12. mRNA expression (changes after two weeks)

    Time frame: Changes from before the intervention to immediately after the initial two weeks of resistance training

    mRNA abundances in m. vastus lateralis measured using qPCR

  13. Maximal concentric force production

    Time frame: Changes from before the intervention to immediately after the intervention

    Maximal concentric force production measured using a seated leg press test

  14. Sprint performance

    Time frame: Changes from before the intervention to immediately after the intervention

    Mean power output measured during a 10-second all-out cycling sprint

  15. Maximal oxygen consumption

    Time frame: Changes from before the intervention to immediately after the intervention

    Maximal oxygen consumption measured during an incremental cycling exercise test to exhaustion

  16. Maximal aerobic power output

    Time frame: Changes from before the intervention to immediately after the intervention

    Maximal aerobic power output measured as mean power output during the last minute of an incremental cycling exercise test to exhaustion

  17. Power output at lactate threshold

    Time frame: Changes from before the intervention to immediately after the intervention

    Power output at 4 mmol blood lactate concentration measured during an incremental cycling exercise test (with 5 minute steps)

  18. Gross efficiency

    Time frame: Changes from before the intervention to immediately after the intervention

    Contribution of total energy turnover to power output in the fresh and fatigued state

  19. Fractional utilization of VO2max (incremental test)

    Time frame: Changes from before the intervention to immediately after the intervention

    Fractional utilization of VO2max measured at 4 mmol blood lactate concentrations measured during an incremental cycling exercise test (with 5 minute steps)

  20. Fractional utilization of VO2max (15-minute performance test)

    Time frame: Changes from before the intervention to immediately after the intervention

    Fractional utilization of VO2max measured during a 15-minute performance test

  21. Hemoglobin mass

    Time frame: Changes from before the intervention to immediately after the intervention

    Hemoglobin mass measured using CO rebreathing (g)

  22. Blood volume

    Time frame: Changes from before the intervention to immediately after the intervention

    Blood volume measured using CO rebreathing

  23. Plasma volume

    Time frame: Changes from before the intervention to immediately after the intervention

    Plasma volume measured using CO rebreathing

  24. Red blood cell volume

    Time frame: Changes from before the intervention to immediately after the intervention

    Red blood cell volume measured using CO rebreathing

  25. Hematocrit

    Time frame: Changes from before the intervention to immediately after the intervention

    Hematocrit measured using centrifugation

Other outcomes

  1. Endurance training volume

    Time frame: Throughout study completion (daily), an average of ten weeks

    Self-reported endurance training volume measured as time-spent in different exercise intensity zones

  2. Resistance training volume

    Time frame: Throughout study completion (daily), an average of ten weeks

    Self-reported resistance training volume measured as load x repetitions

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Identifying Molecular Determinants for the Efficacy of Resistance Training for Improving Endurance Performance in Elite Cyclists

Acronym: IDperform

Important dates

Study start
2020
Primary completion
2021
Study completion
2021
First posted
Nov 19, 2020
Registry last updated
Mar 1, 2021

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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