Understanding the Negative Effects of Bed Rest and Using Exercise as Countermeasure

NCT04964999 | Unknown

• 1 other identifier: MP-37-2021-7170
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 24
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Physical activity appears to be an important lifestyle habit to achieve healthy aging by promoting autonomy and quality of life. Interestingly, the dramatic changes that the human body undergoes due to bedrest for illnesses and hospitalization are similar to those seen over decades of normal aging. Bedrest in otherwise healthy older individuals can lead to a reduction of muscle size and strength, changes in bone strength and function of the heart and blood vessels. Bedrest can also lead to changes in keeping proper balance as well as changes in processing and understanding information. All of these factors negatively affect activities of daily living leading to physical function impairment and development of frailty, a clinical condition associated with an increased risk for disease and death. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether exercise can counteract the negative effects of 2-week head tilt down bed rest on muscle function and metabolism, postural control, bone structure, orthostatic tolerance and cognitive function in adults. For this study the investigators will recruit 24 healthy men and women between 55 - 65 years of age. All subjects will spend a total of 26 days (5 days of adaption period, 14 days of bed rest with 6 degrees of downward inclination, and 7 days of recovery period) at the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC). During this study, 12 subjects will randomly undergo an exercise intervention as countermeasure during the 14 days of bed rest period and 12 will serve as control. Each subjects participation in this study will involve 1 telephone call (pre-screening) and 4 visits at the MUHC: 1 screening visit (Visit 1) followed by a 26-day long visit (Visit 2) and 2 follow-up visits (Visit 3 and Visit 4). During Visits 2 - 4 various measurements will be performed to assess sensorimotor control, muscle function and metabolism, bone structure, cardiovascular function, cognitive performance and function, and specimen collection (blood, urine, saliva, feces and muscle tissue).

Conditions

Aging

Keywords

Bed rest; Exercise; Aging

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (33)

• Changes in cognition status of participants with head down bed rest (HDBR) with and without exercise countermeasure.

  NIH Toolbox Cognition Battery (computerized)

  Throughout the 26-day study period: at Baseline, HDBR and Recovery periods

• Changes in cognition status of participants with head down bed rest (HDBR) with and without exercise countermeasure.

  CLSA cognition questionnaire

  Throughout the 26-day study period: at Baseline, HDBR and Recovery periods

• Changes in emotional status of participants with HDBR with and without exercise countermeasure.

  Positive and Negative Affect Scale \- For both scales scores can range from 10-50, with higher scores representing higher levels of positive or negative affect.

  Throughout the 26-day study period: at Baseline, HDBR and Recovery periods

• Changes in emotional status of participants with HDBR with and without exercise countermeasure.

  General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28). * Using Likert 4-point scale with the min score being 0 and max score being 84. * Higher scores indicate a higher level of distress.

  Throughout the 26-day study period: at Baseline, HDBR and Recovery periods

• Changes in brain structure with HDBR with and without exercise countermeasure.

  Assessment of brain anatomy using a MRI.

  Throughout the 26-day study period: at Baseline and Recovery periods

• Changes in brain function with HDBR with and without exercise countermeasure.

  Measurement of neuronal, cerebrovascular, and connectivity integrity with functional MRI.

  Throughout the 26-day study period: at Baseline and Recovery periods

• Changes in muscle muscle mass with HDBR with and without exercise countermeasure.

  Body MRI

  Throughout the 26-day study period: at Baseline, HDBR and Recovery periods

• Changes in muscle fat infiltration with HDBR with and without exercise countermeasure.

  Body MRI

  Throughout the 26-day study period: at Baseline, HDBR and Recovery periods

• Changes in adiposity with HDBR with and without exercise countermeasure.

  Body MRI

  Throughout the 26-day study period: at Baseline, HDBR and Recovery periods

• Changes in ventricular volume of the heart with HDBR with and without exercise countermeasure.

  Using a heart MRI left and right ventricular volumes will be assessed.

  Throughout the 26-day study period: at Baseline, HDBR and Recovery periods

• Changes in ventricular mass with HDBR with and without exercise countermeasure.

  Using a heart MRI left and right ventricular mass will be assessed.

  Throughout the 26-day study period: at Baseline, HDBR and Recovery periods

• Changes in bone structure with HDBR with and without exercise countermeasure.

  High resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT)

  Throughout the 26-day study period: at Baseline and Recovery periods

• Changes in muscle strength with HDBR with and without exercise countermeasure.

  Quantitative Muscle Dynamometry (Biodex)

  Throughout the 26-day study period: at Baseline and Recovery periods

• Changes in muscle strength with HDBR with and without exercise countermeasure.

  Vertical jump

  Throughout the 26-day study period: at Baseline and Recovery periods

• Changes in muscle-pump baroreflex with HDBR with and without exercise countermeasure.

  Supine-to-stand test

  Throughout the 26-day study period: at Baseline, HDBR and Recovery periods

• Changes in balance control with HDBR with and without exercise countermeasure.

  Postural equilibrium control test

  Throughout the 26-day study period: at Baseline and Recovery periods

• Changes in orthostatic tolerance with HDBR with and without exercise countermeasure.

  Tilt test

  Throughout the 26-day study period: at Baseline and Recovery periods

• Cardiac and vascular changes with HDBR with and without exercise countermeasure.

  Using high frame rate ultrasound (HiFRUS) arterial wall shear stress will be assessed.

  Throughout the 26-day study period: at Baseline, HDBR and Recovery periods

• Cardiac and vascular changes with HDBR with and without exercise countermeasure.

  Using high frame rate ultrasound (HiFRUS) arterial wall stiffness will be assessed.

  Throughout the 26-day study period: at Baseline, HDBR and Recovery periods

• Cardiac and vascular changes with HDBR with and without exercise countermeasure.

  Using high frame rate ultrasound (HiFRUS) cardiac mass will be assessed.

  Throughout the 26-day study period: at Baseline, HDBR and Recovery periods

• Cardiac and vascular changes with HDBR with and without exercise countermeasure.

  Using high frame rate ultrasound (HiFRUS) patterns of blood flow will be assessed.

  Throughout the 26-day study period: at Baseline, HDBR and Recovery periods

• Changes in Fractional Synthesis Rate (FSR) with HDBR with and without exercise countermeasure.

  Measurement of protein turnover.

  Throughout the 26-day study period: during HDBR period

• Changes in sleep quality with HDBR with and without exercise countermeasure.

  Sleep quality will be assessed using a 3-electrode electroencephalogram (EEG) Sleep Profiler and a wrist worn actigraphy.

  Throughout the 26-day study period: at Baseline, HDBR and Recovery periods

• Changes in sleep architecture with HDBR with and without exercise countermeasure.

  Using 3-electrode electroencephalogram (EEG) Sleep Profiler electrical patterns of brain activity will be measured in order to assess sleep cycles and sleep stages.

  Throughout the 26-day study period: at Baseline, HDBR and Recovery periods

• Changes in frailty status with HDBR with and without exercise countermeasure.

  CLSA-FI questionnaire

  Throughput the 26-day study period: at Baseline, HDBR and Recovery periods

• Changes in the gut microbiome with HDBR with and without exercise countermeasure.

  To assess gut microbiome, stool samples will be collected and targeted sequencing of the variable regions 4 and 5 (V4-V5) of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene will be performed on an Illumina MiSeq.

  Throughout the 26-day study period: at Baseline, HDBR and Recovery periods

• Changes in the constitution of the oral microbiome with HDBR with and without exercise countermeasure.

  To assess oral microbiome, saliva samples will be collected and targeted sequencing of the variable regions 4 and 5 (V4-V5) of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene will be performed on an Illumina MiSeq.

  Throughout the 26-day study period: at Baseline, HDBR and Recovery periods

• Changes in physical performance with HDBR with and without exercise countermeasure.

  Short Physical Performance Battery test

  Throughout the 26-day study period: at Baseline and Recovery periods

• Changes in physical performance with HDBR with and without exercise countermeasure.

  Timed-up-and-Go test

  Throughout the 26-day study period: at Baseline and Recovery periods

• Changes in dynamic balance with HDBR with and without exercise countermeasure.

  Four-square step test

  Throughout the 26-day study period: at Baseline and Recovery periods

• Changes in bone markers with HDBR with and without exercise countermeasure.

  The following bone markers will be assessed using ELISA kits: * Total osteocalcin * Undercarboxylated osteocalcin * Sclerostin * NTX (N-terminal Telopeptide) * CTX (C-terminal telopeptide) * Bone Specific Alkaline Phosphatase (BSAP) * Procollagen type 1 amino-terminal propeptide (P1NP)

  Throughout the 26-day study period: at Baseline and Recovery periods

• Changes in growth factors with HDBR with and without exercise countermeasure.

  The following growth factors will be measured with Multiplex: * Basic fibroblast growth factor * Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) * Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) * Platelet-derived growth factor BB (PDGF-BB) * Transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) * Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)

  Throughout the 26-day study period: at Baseline and Recovery periods

• Changes in cytokines with HDBR with and without exercise countermeasure.

  The following cytokines will be measured with Multiplex: * Eotaxin * Interferon gamma (IFN-γ) * IL-1β, IL-1Ra, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-7, IL-8, IL-9, IL-10, IL-12 (p70), IL-13, IL-15, IL-17 * Tumour necrosis factor (TNF-α) * Interferon gamma- induced protein 10 (IP-10) * Monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1) * Macrophage inflammatory protein-1α (MIP-1α) * Macrophage inflammatory protein-1β (MIP-1β)

  Throughout the 26-day study period: at Baseline and Recovery periods

Secondary Outcomes (5)

• Changes in neuromotor function with HDBR with and without exercise countermeasure.

  Throughout the 26-day study period: at Baseline and Recovery periods

• Changes in aerobic capacity with HDBR with and without exercise countermeasure.

  Throughout the 26-day study period: at Baseline and Recovery periods

• Changes in body composition with HDBR with and without exercise countermeasure.

  Throughout the 26-day study period: at Baseline and Recovery periods

• Changes in insulin sensitivity with HDBR with and without exercise countermeasure.

  Throughout the 26-day study period: at Baseline, HDBR and Recovery periods

• Changes in neuronal factors with HDBR with and without exercise countermeasure.

  Throughout the 26-day study period: at Baseline, HDBR and Recovery periods

Study Arms (2)

Exercise

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants will perform aerobic and strength exercises for 2 weeks.

Other: Exercise

No exercise

NO INTERVENTION

Participants will not perform any exercises.

Interventions

Exercise OTHER

Participants will undergo an exercise program during the 2-week bed rest period.

Exercise

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 55 Years - 65 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• A minimum of 20 and a maximum of 24 non-smoking participants in the age group of 55 to 65 years old, half male and half female.
• Female participants must be menopausal (no menses for at least 1 year (or documented ovariectomy) and a serum FSH above 30 IU/L).
• Height between 158 to 190 cm with a body mass index between 20 to 30 kg/m2.
• Physically and mentally healthy subjects that will have successfully passed the psychological and medical screening appropriate for the age group.
• Participation in at least 2.5 hours of exercise at a moderate to vigorous-intensity aerobic activity per week.
• Willing to be assigned randomly either to the exercise or the control group.

You may not qualify if:

• Participants must be dementia-free, drug- or alcohol-addiction free, with no history of heart attacks, no thrombosis risk, no severe allergies, no hypocalcaemia, no uric acidemia, no orthostatic intolerance, no vestibular disorders, no considerable musculoskeletal issues, no chronic back pain, no head trauma, no seizures, no ulcers, no renal stones, no gastro-esophageal reflux disease or renal function disorder, no hiatus hernia, no migraines, and no mental illness.
• Electrocardiogram abnormalities
• Anemia
• Low bone mineral density
• Medication requirements that may interfere with the interpretation of the results
• Recent substandard nutritional status
• Claustrophobia
• Special dietary requests (e.g. vegetarian, vegan or some other diet)
• Sedentary people and people that are addicted to exercise
• Metallic implants (pacemakers, ICDs, CRT devices, infusion pumps, cerebral artery aneurysm clips, dental implants, tissue expander etc.), osteosynthesis material
• Given blood in the past 3 months before the onset of the experiment
• Smoked (tobacco and/or marijuana (THC)) within 6 months prior to the start of the study
• Abused drugs, medicine or alcohol within up to 30 days prior to the start of the study
• Participated in another study within 2 months before study onset

Sponsors & Collaborators

• McGill University Health Centre/Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre: lead
• Canadian Space Agency: collaborator
• Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR): collaborator
• Canadian Frailty Network: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Royal Victoria Hospital - Glen site

Montreal, Quebec, H4A 3J1, Canada

RECRUITING

Related Publications (3)

• Mastrandrea CJ, Hajj-Boutros G, Sonjak V, Hedge ET, Gouspillou G, Hughson RL, Morais JA. Exercise attenuates bed rest-induced increases in insulin resistance while alpha-klotho increases in 55 to 65 year-old women and men. Sci Rep. 2025 Jul 24;15(1):26927. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-12770-5.

  PMID: 40707556 DERIVED

• Balbim GM, Falck RS, Barha CK, Tai D, Best JR, Hajj-Boutros G, Madden K, Liu-Ambrose T. Exercise counters the negative impact of bed rest on executive functions in middle-aged and older adults: A proof-of-concept randomized controlled trial. Maturitas. 2023 Oct 17;179:107869. doi: 10.1016/j.maturitas.2023.107869. Online ahead of print.

  PMID: 39491057 DERIVED

• Blaber AP, Sadeghian F, Naz Divsalar D, Scarisbrick IA. Elevated biomarkers of neural injury in older adults following head-down bed rest: links to cardio-postural deconditioning with spaceflight and aging. Front Hum Neurosci. 2023 Sep 26;17:1208273. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2023.1208273. eCollection 2023.

  PMID: 37822710 DERIVED

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Motor Activity

Interventions

Exercise

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Behavior

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Motor Activity; Movement; Musculoskeletal Physiological Phenomena; Musculoskeletal and Neural Physiological Phenomena

Study Officials

• José A. Morais, MD

  McGill University Health Centre/Research Institute of the McGill University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Guy Hajj Boutros

CONTACT

514-934-1934; guyelhajj@gmail.com

José A. Morais, MD

CONTACT

514-934-1934; jose.morais@mcgill.ca

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: Professor and Director, Division of Geriatric Medicine, McGill University

Model Details: Randomized controlled study - Participants will be randomly allocated to the exercise or control group.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: May 6, 2021
• First Posted: July 16, 2021
• Study Start: July 12, 2021
• Primary Completion: February 1, 2022
• Study Completion: April 1, 2022
• Last Updated: September 5, 2021

Record last verified: 2021-09

Locations

CA (1)