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Completed

NCT Number: NCT06375356

Stronger: Muscle Strengthening for Menopause

Menopause is a period of time with increased risk for muscle and bone loss. Very few people strength train regularly at least 2 times per week, and commonly reported barriers include inadequate time and resources, worries of safety, inadequate knowledge base of what moves to do and how to do them. Menopause-aged women may report unique barriers - or perceived facilitators - to strength training. This pilot study will develop and test the feasibility and acceptability of an at-home, band-based, expert-supported strength training intervention.

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Key information

Conditions

Resistance Training

Age range

35 year and older

Sex eligibility

Female

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Stanford University School of Medicine

Stanford, California, 94305-7240, United States

About this study

Women are at particular risk for low muscle mass as they age, because menopause causes a dramatic reduction in circulating estrogen, which accelerates muscle decline. Preserving muscle is one of the single most important factors to maintaining lifelong independence, with bone, metabolic, cardiovascular, and cognitive health benefits. The most critical behavior for growing and preserving muscle is resistance training, and conservative estimates indicate 4 in 5 US adults do not engage in any resistance training. Commonly cited barriers for women include gender-based stigmas, discouragement, negative comments, poor knowledge of how to do resistance training, poor gym accessibility, and difficulty balancing work and family life. Finally, many menopause practitioners note that with bodyweight as a large concern, many women decrease calorie intake and increase cardiovascular (not resistance) training, further compounding muscle loss. This proposed intervention study aims to develop and pilot a muscle health building intervention with and for menopausal women.

Broadly, the investigators will identify the adherence, feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary changes of a resistance training intervention for menopausal women. The investigators will pilot the 3-month "Stronger" intervention, utilizing a protocol co-designed from focus groups. We will recruit women with menopause and randomize them into one of 2 groups: 1) single-session strength training (Stronger); or 2) "Stronger snacks," the same exercises as the single-session training but broken into single-set snack sizes that are performed throughout the week. The investigators hypothesize that the strength snacks will have the highest adherence and be the most behaviorally accessible and acceptable, but post-study interviews will also help us identify motivational differences.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

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

Inclusion criteria

  • one year of no periods or categorized as menopause
  • female at birth
  • English speaking

Exclusion criteria

  • unable to perform strength training movements
  • currently performing regular strength training activities or exercise

Treatment and study plan

Resistance training

Behavioral

Strength exercises (3-4 sets each exercise) videos delivered electronically, participant self-tracks and self-progresses based on effort reported.

Primary outcomes

  1. number of strength exercises the participant logged over the intervention

    Time frame: Total at the end of 3 months

    The total number of strength exercises the participant logs is a measure of adherence to the intervention.

  2. Liking of the intervention

    Time frame: 3 month

    Liking is measured using a 5-point Likert scale from not at all (1) to extremely (5) at the end of the intervention as a measure of acceptability of the intervention.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Number of participants completing post 3 month measure / those randomized and consented

    Time frame: 3 months

    This measures retention rate; this will be a single ratio determined by the denominator of number of participants randomized and consented collected at baseline, and a numerator of the number of participants who complete post 3 month measures

  2. Change in total seconds a participant can remain in a wall sit

    Time frame: Change from baseline to 3 months

    This measures muscular strength endurance. Each participant will be timed using a video- when they initiate and when they stop maintaining a position of sitting at 90 degrees with their back supported by the wall behind them.

  3. Change in number of full body weight squats in 60 seconds

    Time frame: Change from baseline to 3 months

    This measures muscular strength endurance. Each participant will video themselves doing bodyweight squats to reach a chair with a bell on it. Each time they touch the bell will count as a rep.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Stanford University

Other

Registry information

Important dates

Study start
2025
Primary completion
2026
Study completion
2026
First posted
Apr 19, 2024
Registry last updated
Jun 29, 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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