The Effects of Heavier- and Lighter-load Resistance Training on Arm and Leg Muscle Mass in Young Adult Women

NCT04547972 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: H20-01570
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 16
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

When you perform weightlifting, your body makes new proteins within your muscle. These new proteins can increase the size of the fibers within your muscle to make your muscle larger, a process called hypertrophy. The common convention surrounding gains in muscle mass and strength are that higher-loads (i.e. heavier weights) used for fewer repetitions are better for increasing strength and lower-loads (i.e. lighter weights) used for higher repetitions are better for increasing muscle mass. However, recent research has found that when higher- and lower-loads are used when participants exercise until volitional fatigue (i.e. cannot perform another repetition), muscle mass and strength increases are similar regardless of using a higher- or lower-load. Many of these studies have examined this effect in males with fewer studies examining the effects of higher- and lower-load training in females when assessing changes in muscle mass, strength, and muscle endurance. Further, it has been shown that there is substantial individual variation in response to resistance exercise training where individuals can be broadly categorized as higher- or lower-responders to resistance exercise training. This study aims to explore how the muscle mass, strength, and muscle endurance of females are impacted by both higher- and lower-loads while also exploring how individuals may respond to the training interventions.

Conditions

Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy

Keywords

Skeletal Muscle; Hypertrophy; Strength; Muscle Endurance

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Change in upper- and lower-body skeletal muscle mass between weeks 1 and 12

  The total skeletal muscle mass measured in each individual arm and leg quantified using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry scanning

  Weeks 1 and 12

Secondary Outcomes (10)

• Change in unilateral dumbbell bicep preacher curl one repetition maximum between weeks 1 and 12

  Weeks 1 and 12

• Change in unilateral knee extension one repetition maximum between weeks 1 and 12

  Weeks 1 and 12

• Change in unilateral dumbbell bicep preacher curl relative muscle endurance between weeks 1 and 12

  Weeks 1 and 12

• Change in unilateral dumbbell bicep preacher curl absolute muscle endurance between weeks 1 and 12

  Weeks 1 and 12

• Change in unilateral knee extension relative muscle endurance between weeks 1 and 12

  Weeks 1 and 12

Study Arms (2)

Higher-load limbs

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

This treatment arm will have participants performing resistance training with loads of \~80% of an individuals one-repetition maximum. Each participant will have one arm and one leg assigned to this condition.

Other: Higher-load resistance training

Lower-load limbs

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

This treatment arm will have participants performing resistance training with loads of \~30% of an individuals one-repetition maximum. Each participant will have one arm and one leg assigned to this condition.

Other: Lower-load resistance training

Interventions

Higher-load resistance training OTHER

This intervention will have one arm and one leg of each participant training with \~80% of their one repetition maximum

Higher-load limbs

Lower-load resistance training OTHER

This intervention will have one arm and one leg of each participant training with \~30% of their one repetition maximum

Lower-load limbs

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 30 Years
• Sex: female
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Female
• years of age
• Can fluently read and write in English
• Able to commit to three training sessions per week for a continuous 10-week period as well as testing one week before and one week after this 10-week training period
• All "No" answers on the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology Get Active questionnaire or doctors' approval to participate

You may not qualify if:

• Allergic to dairy products or are lactose-intolerant (participants will be supplemented with whey protein twice daily for the 10-week training period)
• Allergic to any of the following ingredients which are present in the whey protein concentrate supplement: Bos taurus - Milk, Cocoa, Natural and Artificial Flavours, Xanthan Gum, Sucralose, Non-genetically modified organism Sunflower Lecithin
• Any major uncontrolled cardiovascular, muscular, metabolic, and/or neurological disorders
• Lung or kidney disease
• Medical conditions impacting on their ability to undertake strenuous physical activity
• Regular use of any mental health medications that may lead to excessive weight gain (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, second generation antipsychotics, antiepileptic drugs)
• Participated in consistent resistance exercise training more than twice per month in the previous 12 months
• Participated in consistent vigorous aerobic training more than twice per week in the previous 12 months
• Significant gain or loss of body mass in the past 6 months (greater than 2 kg)
• Current smoker
• BMI less than 18 or over 30

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of British Columbia: lead

Study Sites (1)

The University of British Columbia

Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z3, Canada

Location

Related Publications (6)

• Campos GE, Luecke TJ, Wendeln HK, Toma K, Hagerman FC, Murray TF, Ragg KE, Ratamess NA, Kraemer WJ, Staron RS. Muscular adaptations in response to three different resistance-training regimens: specificity of repetition maximum training zones. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2002 Nov;88(1-2):50-60. doi: 10.1007/s00421-002-0681-6. Epub 2002 Aug 15.

  PMID: 12436270 BACKGROUND

• Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Ogborn D, Krieger JW. Strength and Hypertrophy Adaptations Between Low- vs. High-Load Resistance Training: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. J Strength Cond Res. 2017 Dec;31(12):3508-3523. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000002200.

  PMID: 28834797 BACKGROUND

• Mitchell CJ, Churchward-Venne TA, West DW, Burd NA, Breen L, Baker SK, Phillips SM. Resistance exercise load does not determine training-mediated hypertrophic gains in young men. J Appl Physiol (1985). 2012 Jul;113(1):71-7. doi: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00307.2012. Epub 2012 Apr 19.

  PMID: 22518835 BACKGROUND

• Roberts BM, Nuckols G, Krieger JW. Sex Differences in Resistance Training: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. J Strength Cond Res. 2020 May;34(5):1448-1460. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000003521.

  PMID: 32218059 BACKGROUND

• Franco CMC, Carneiro MADS, Alves LTH, Junior GNO, de Sousa JFR, Orsatti FL. Lower-Load is More Effective Than Higher-Load Resistance Training in Increasing Muscle Mass in Young Women. J Strength Cond Res. 2019 Jul;33 Suppl 1:S152-S158. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000002970.

  PMID: 30640303 BACKGROUND

• Fliss MD, Stevenson J, Mardan-Dezfouli S, Li DCW, Mitchell CJ. Higher- and lower-load resistance exercise training induce load-specific local muscle endurance changes in young women: a randomised trial. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2022 Dec 1;47(12):1143-1159. doi: 10.1139/apnm-2022-0263. Epub 2022 Aug 26.

  PMID: 36027601 DERIVED

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Hypertrophy

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Pathological Conditions, Anatomical; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Study Officials

• Cameron J Mitchell, PhD

  University of British Columbia

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: BASIC SCIENCE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Assistant Professor

Model Details: A within participant design will be used wherein each participant will be assigned to both training conditions. One arm and one leg will train with higher-loads and one arm and one leg will train with lower-loads; limb allocation will be randomized.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: September 4, 2020
• First Posted: September 14, 2020
• Study Start: January 5, 2021
• Primary Completion: August 12, 2021
• Study Completion: August 12, 2021
• Last Updated: September 29, 2021

Record last verified: 2021-09

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

CA (1)