Recruiting

Low-load Resistance Training vs. High-intensity Interval Training

Sponsor:

University of British Columbia

Code:

NCT05945641

Conditions

Hypertrophy

Muscle Strength

High-Intensity Interval Training

Resistance Training

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 19 - 30

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Interventions

Low Load Resistance training

Sprint/High Intensity Interval Training

Study Details

Brief summary:

Local muscle endurance (LME) is the ability of a muscle(s) to resist fatigue and is needed for daily activities of life such as climbing stairs, lifting/moving objects, and in sport contexts like rock climbing, mixed martial arts, cross-fit, kayaking and canoeing. Therefore, the investigators want learn how to improve LME and understand what in human bodies changes during exercise training to cause these changes. The investigators know that lifting weights improves muscle strength which is believed to improve LME. Specifically lifting less heavy weights (LLRET) for more repetitions leads to greater gains in LME opposed to heavier weights for fewer repetitions. Therefore, lifting less heavy weights likely causes greater changes in our muscles than lifting heavier weights that cause improvements in LME. Aerobic exercise preformed at high intensities in an interval format (HIIT) may also help improve LME by increasing our muscle's ability to produce energy during exercise. Therefore, the investigators want to see which of LLRET or HIIT leads to greater improvements in LME.

Conditions

Hypertrophy

Muscle Strength

High-Intensity Interval Training

Resistance Training

Study ID

NCT05945641

Start date

Sep 27, 2023

Status verified date

May, 2024

Completion date

May, 2025

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Apr, 2025

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 19 - 30

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Able to understand and communicate in English
2. 19-30 years of age
3. All "No" answers on the CSEP Get Active questionnaire or doctors' approval to participate
4. Untrained participants: no structured resistance and/or endurance training over the past 12-months (i.e., >2 hours per week of structured/periodized training)

Exclusion Criteria:

1. BMI lower than 18 or greater than 30
2. Current use of cigarettes or other nicotine devices
3. Any major uncontrolled cardiovascular, muscular, metabolic, and/or neurological disorders
4. Any medical condition impacting the ability to participate in maximal exercise
5. Type one or type two diabetes
6. Diagnosis of cancer or undergoing cancer treatment in the past 12 months
7. Taking blood-thinning medication or the presence of a bleeding disorder
8. Drug therapy with any drugs that alter skeletal muscle metabolism (i.e., Metformin, Benzodiazepines)

Study Design

Enrollment

20 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Randomized

Intervention Model

Parallel Assignment

Primary purpose

Prevention

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

experimental: Low Load Resistance Training

LLRET - 12 weeks (2-3 times/week) 3 sets of Knee extension exercise (single leg) done at 30%1- RM. Performed to failure with 3 minutes of rest between sets, weight lifted will be adjusted throughout the study to keep repetitions completed in a 20-30 repetition range.

experimental: Sprint/High Intensity Interval Training

SIT/HIIT- 12 weeks (2-3 times/week), mix of SIT and HIIT (8-15 sets/session). SIT -30 second Super Maximal "Wingate style intervals" performed on a Kicking ergometer (single leg) with 4 minutes rest provided between sets (number of interval ranges from 4-5), load determined from DEXA leg lean mass and will not be altered throughout training.

HIIT - 1-minute Submaximal efforts (90% single leg kicking ergometer VO2Peak Wattage) performed on a kicking ergometer (single leg) with 1 minute rest provided between sets (number of interval ranges from 8-10), if all sets completed wattage will be increased by 5watts for the next training session.

Interventions

Low Load Resistance training

Performing single leg knee extension exercise with using equivalent to \~30%1-RM to failure,

Sprint/High Intensity Interval Training

Performing repeated submaximal/maximal 30second-60 seconds (1-3 minute rest between) aerobic intervals on a Kicking ergometer (modified bike that allows cycling to be performed with one leg using a kicking motion).

Primary outcome measure

  • Change in repetitions completed for 30% pre-training 1- Repetition maximum (Single leg Knee extension) [ Time Frame: Change from baseline to 6 weeks ]
  • Change in Repetitions completed for 30% pre-training 1- Repetition maximum (Single leg Knee extension) [ Time Frame: Change from baseline to 12 weeks ]
  • Change in CFPE index (Capillary to fiber ratio normalized to fiber perimeter) [ Time Frame: Change from baseline to 12 weeks ]
  • Change in Maximal Citrate synthase (CS) Activity [ Time Frame: Change from baseline to 12 weeks ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Lucas A Wiens, BSc

7788377665wiensl55@student.ubc.ca

Cameron J Mitchell, PhD

604 827 2072cameron.mitchell@ubc.ca

Locations

Univeristy if British Columbia

Recruiting

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V6T 1Z3

Contacts

Cameron J Mitchell, PhD

6048272072Cameron.mitchell@ubc.ca

Principal Investigator:

Cameron J Mitchell, PhD

More Information

Sponsor

University of British Columbia

Last update posted

Mar 30, 2025

Last verified

May, 2024

Keywords

  • Muscle Strength
  • Local Muscle Endurance
  • Muscle Hypertrophy
  • Mitochondrial Content
  • Mitochondrial Function
  • Muscle Capillarization
  • High-Intensity Interval Training
  • Sprint Interval Training
  • Low Load Resistance Training
  • Resistance Training
  • Interval Training
  • Knee Extension
  • Muscle Endurance

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-10. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by University of British Columbia on 2025-03-30.