Recruiting

Observational Study

Sponsor:

Mayo Clinic

Code:

NCT06820658

Conditions

Healthy

Insulin Resistance

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 60 - 70+

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Interventions

Neuromuscular Test

DEXA

Mixed Meal Tolerance Test

Strength Test

Study Details

Brief summary:

The objective of the study is to use neurological techniques to obtain quantitative measurements of nervous system control of skeletal muscle activity in adults aged 60-85 who are either long-term resistance exercisers or who are untrained.

Conditions

Healthy

Insulin Resistance

Study ID

NCT06820658

Start date

Feb 26, 2025

Status verified date

Jul, 2026

Completion date

Oct 1, 2028

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Sep 1, 2028

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 60 - 70+

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Inclusion Criteria

  • Participant must have a BMI between 18.5 and 38
  • Participant be aged between 60 and 85
  • Regularly exercises at least 5 days a week a minimum of 30 minutes per day.
  • Engages in less than 2 days of exercise less than 30 minutes each day.
  • Participant must use the Mayo Clinic patient online portal.
  • Participant must be able to understand English without the need of an interpreter.
  • Must be willing to be contacted for research
  • Participant must be willing and capable to provide consent.
  • Participants shall be generally healthy as deemed acceptable by the principal investigator
  • Men and women will be participant in this study. Women cannot be pregnant during this study.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Surgical History - Gastric surgery, pacemaker placement, weight loss surgery, metabolic and obstetric surgery.
  • Smokers will be excluded from the study.
  • Medications: Insulins, common diabetic drugs, anti-hyperglycemic drugs, beta blockers cardiac selective, beta-blockers noncardiac selective, oral steroids, opioids anti-depressants, and hormones
  • Conidiations and Diagnosis: Disorder of coronary artery, hepatic failure, gastroparesis, disorder of the adrenal gland, drug related disorders, substance abuse, malignant neoplastic disease, psychotic disorders, disorder of skeletal muscle, finding of brain, chronic kidney disease, renal failure syndrome, disorder of pulmonary circulation, cerebrovascular disease, neuro developmental disorder, disorder of immune function, disorder of central nervous system.
  • Participants are not to have an abnormal value as part of a lipid panel within the past 6 months.
  • Participant will be excluded if they have recreational drug use or a history of alcohol abuse
  • Inability or unwillingness of individual or legal guardian/representative to give written informed consent.
  • Current or past participation within a specified timeframe in another clinical trial, as warranted by the administration of this intervention.
  • Participant will be excluded if they have epilepsy.
  • Participant will be excluded if they have cranial metal/device implants
  • Participant will be excluded if they are pregnant

Study Design

Enrollment

80 participants

Anticipated

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

Highly resistance-trained

Untrained

Interventions

Neuromuscular Test

To measure neuromuscular connectivity, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) will be used to stimulate regions of the cerebral cortex known to control specific muscles.

Electromyography (EMG) activity will then be measured from the following muscle groups: deltoid, biceps, extensor digitorum communis, abductor pollicis brevis, abductor digiti minimi, and first dorsal interosseous muscle.

DEXA

The DEXA test uses X-rays to measure how many grams of calcium and other bone minerals are packed into a segment of bone. The test also measures the amount of fat-free mass, and fat mass.

Mixed Meal Tolerance Test

Fasting blood will be collected for glucose, insulin, and c-peptide. Participants will be provided with a milkshake with a fixed amount of protein, carbohydrates, and fat. Glucose, insulin, and c-peptide will be measured at multiple time points (every 10 minutes) until four hours after consumption (50% Fat, 30% Carbohydrate HO, 20% Protein). Approximately 70mls of blood will be drawn during this time

Strength Test

Knee extensor strength will be tested by gradually increasing the workload on a pneumatic Keiser knee extension machine. The test will begin with a warm-up of 4-5 reps with one leg at 30-50 psi. Then the participant will increase the workload at self-selected intervals ranging from 5-20psi until a maximum effort is achieved. If a rep is failed, then the workload will be reduced by 5psi until a successful rep is performed or a workload is reached in which a successful rep had been previously achieved. Handgrip strength will be tested using a handheld dynamometer (Baseline® standard hydraulic hand dynamometer). The test is performed with the participant seated with the elbow unsupported and flexed at 90 degrees, forearm neutral, wrist held between 0-15 degrees of ulnar deviation (Horowitz, 1997). Maximum grip is the average of three 3-5 second trials.

Primary outcome measure

  • Electromyography (EMG) response following Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) [ Time Frame: 21 days ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Emmett Oldham

507-538-7772oldham.emmett@mayo.edu

Locations

Mayo Clinic

Recruiting

Rochester, Minnesota, United States, 55905

Contacts

Emmett Oldham

507-538-7772oldham.emmett@mayo.edu

More Information

Sponsor

Mayo Clinic

Last update posted

Aug 5, 2026

Last verified

Jul, 2026

Keywords

  • neuromuscular
  • transcranial magnetic stimulation

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-10. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by Mayo Clinic on 2026-08-05.