Recruiting

LL-RE & HL-RE

Sponsor:

Université de Sherbrooke

Code:

NCT06845514

Conditions

Blood Pressure Management

Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory

Blood Pressure, High

Blood Pressure

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: Female

Age: 50 - 70

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Interventions

Condition LL-RE

Control

Condition HL-RE

Study Details

Brief summary:

The goal of the clinical trial is to understand the effect of two resistance training protocols employing different loading intensities (% of 1 repetition maximum; 1-RM), but with standardized effort intensity (2 repetitions in reserve; RIR) on post-exercise and ambulatory blood pressure in aging females.

The main questions it aims to answer are:

  • to examine the acute effects of low (50% 1-RM) and high (80% 1-RM) load intensity resistance exercise with a standardized high effort intensity on post-exercise hypotension and ambulatory blood pressure responses in aging females;
  • deepen the understanding of the mechanisms underlying acute reductions in blood pressure in response to resistance exercise performed at different load intensities. To this end, autonomic activity will be estimated alongside the measurement of central arterial compliance (i.e., carotid artery), and serum biomarkers of endothelial function;
  • document the affective valence and enjoyment associated with low (50% 1-RM) and high (80% 1-RM) load intensity resistance exercise when performed at a high perceived effort.

Researchers will compare the effect of: 1) a low load (LL-RE) intensity protocol consisting of 3 sets of each exercise at 50% 1-RM, performed until reaching a hard perceived effort intensity (i.e., RIR-2); 2) high load (HL-RE) intensity protocol consisting of 3 sets of each exercise at 80% of 1-RM, performed until reaching a hard perceived effort intensity (i.e., RIR-2); 3) and a control condition (CON) consisting of a standardized non-fatiguing cognitive task.

Participants will participate in:

  • A preliminary assessment visit;
  • Two familiarization visits to validate the exercise prescriptions;
  • Three experimental visits (CON, LL-RE, HL-RE).

Conditions

Blood Pressure Management

Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory

Blood Pressure, High

Blood Pressure

Study ID

NCT06845514

Start date

Jul 8, 2025

Status verified date

Feb, 2025

Completion date

Dec, 2028

Anticipated

Primary completion date

May, 2028

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: Female

Age: 50 - 70

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

  • aged 50 to 70 years;
  • absence of menstruation for 12 consecutive months;
  • normal-high resting blood pressure (120 ≤ Systolic ≤ 139 mmHg and 80 ≤ Diastolic ≤ 89 mmHg) or stage 1 hypertension (140 ≤ Systolic ≤ 159 mmHg or 90 < Diastolic ≤ 99 mmHg);
  • physically inactive (< 150 minutes of structured aerobic physical activity per week);
  • and not engaging in regular resistance exercise (≥ 2 sessions per week) for more than 3 months during the year.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • orthopedic limitations or other contraindications to resistance exercise;
  • scheduled surgery during the study;
  • unstable hypertension (≥ 160/100 mmHg);
  • diagnosis of type 2 diabetes;
  • cardiovascular event in the past 6 months or sequelae preventing exercise;
  • and initiation of hormonal replacement therapy (< 4 months) known to affect blood pressure.

Study Design

Enrollment

36 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Randomized

Intervention Model

Crossover

Primary purpose

Treatment

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

experimental: Condition LL-RE

Low-load resistance exercise

experimental: Condition HL-RE

High-load resistance exercise

sham comparator: Condition CON

Control condition

Interventions

Condition LL-RE

LL-RE condition will consist of a 5-minute warm-up (slow-paced walking) and the following exercises: leg press, chest press, leg curl, and seated row. Three sets will be performed for each exercise with a 3-minute rest period between sets/exercises. Each exercise will be executed through a full range of motion, with participants encouraged to follow a 2-sec eccentric phase (guided by a mobile app metronome and supervised by an exercise physiologist) and to perform the concentric phase as fast as possible. Participants will be informed to: stop the set when they perceive to have reached the RIR target.

• LL-RE: The low load intensity protocol consists of 3 sets of each exercise at 50% 1-RM, performed until reaching a hard perceived effort intensity (i.e., RIR-2).

Control

Control condition: During the control condition, participants will sit quietly in a room maintained at a temperature of 22-24°C to prevent any influence on blood pressure values, for 60 minutes. During this period, they will perform a standardized non-fatiguing cognitive task: watching Earth, a documentary following the migration paths of four animal families.

Condition HL-RE

HL-RE condition will consist of a 5-minute warm-up (slow-paced walking) and the following exercises: leg press, chest press, leg curl, and seated row. Three sets will be performed for each exercise with a 3-minute rest period between sets/exercises. Each exercise will be executed through a full range of motion, with participants encouraged to follow a 2-sec eccentric phase (guided by a mobile app metronome and supervised by an exercise physiologist) and to perform the concentric phase as fast as possible. Participants will be informed to: stop the set when they perceive to have reached the RIR target.

• HL-RE: The high load intensity protocol consists of 3 sets of each exercise at 80% of 1-RM, performed until reaching a hard perceived effort intensity (i.e., RIR-2).

Primary outcome measure

  • Change in blood pressure post-exercise [ Time Frame: Before the start of the condition (t = 0 minute), at the end of the condition (t = 60 minutes), each 20 min for 1 hour post-condition (t = 80, 100, 120 minutes) ]
  • Change in ambulatory blood pressure [ Time Frame: During 24 hours after the condition ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Eléonor Riesco, Ph.D.

819-821-8000e.riesco@usherbrooke.ca

Renaud Tremblay, M.Sc.

819-780-2220renaud.tremblay3@usherbrooke.ca

Locations

Research Center on Aging

Recruiting

Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada, J1H 2J7

Contacts

Eléonor Riesco, Ph.D.

819-821-8000e.riesco@usherbrooke.ca

More Information

Sponsor

Université de Sherbrooke

Last update posted

Sep 9, 2025

Last verified

Feb, 2025

Keywords

  • resistance training
  • ambulatory blood pressure
  • aging females
  • load intensity
  • perceived effort

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-10. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by Université de Sherbrooke on 2025-09-09.