The Effects of Moderate Intensity Cycle Ergometer vs. Treadmill Training on Physiological Resilience in Older Adults

NCT06955676 | Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: FMHS 367-0923
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 36
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Government guidelines suggest that we should all take part in approximately two and a half hours each week of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise. Older adults are particularly important as their overall health may decline as they get older. Therefore, exercising is important especially for older adults to improve heart and muscle health and functioning in carrying out tasks of daily living. The overall effects of aging on the body can make people less likely to withstand challenges to the body - this is termed 'resilience'. Although aerobic exercise is not super easy and requires continuity, it is not extremely difficult to get used to. However, we still do not know if some types of aerobic exercise are better for you than others at improving resilience. Therefore, this study will look at cycling vs walking to see if one is better at improving resilience in older adults who are 60-80 years old. You will be trained on either a treadmill or cycle ergometer and these exercise sessions will be done over 5 weeks, 3 days a week. Each session will last 40 minutes, start with warm-up and end with cool-down sessions. Assessments will include heart, lung, muscle, and memory and thinking measurements, all of which will be taken before and after the intervention period. This work will help us to better understand how we can improve exercise prescriptions for older adults to sustain their health and functioning in their daily life.

Conditions

Older People

Keywords

aerobic exercise; older adults; elderly; resilience; treadmill; cycle ergometer

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (11)

• The change in vastus lateralis mass

  Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) and ultrasound will be used for this. Muscle thickness, fascicle length, and pennation angle will be measured on ultrasound. BIA is simple to use, places a minimal burden on individuals, uses lightweight and inexpensive equipment, and, most significantly, provides no radiation risk compared to many other methods. It is also found feasible and reliable for the measurement of muscle mass for adults in clinical settings. Ultrasonography is also a technology that is portable, safe, and clearly distinguishes between muscle and subcutaneous fat tissues as well as a valid and novel tool for muscle mass assessment.

  at baseline (pre-intervention) and at the week 5 (post-intervention)

• The changes of muscle strength with maximum voluntary contraction of knee extension

  Maximum voluntary contraction is a standardized technique for assessing muscle strength in healthy older adults. Knee extension strength will be measured with an isometric dynamometer.

  at baseline (pre-intervention) and at the week 5 (post-intervention)

• The change in cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) capacity via the Ekblom-bak (EB) test

  The EB-test consists of exercise at one standardized, low work rate followed by a higher, individually set work rate. Both work rates are performed for 4 minutes at a cadence of 60rpm on a cycle ergometer. The individual higher work rate is chosen by the researcher according to the participants' gender, age, and training background. The higher work rate aims to reach the Borg rate of perceived exertion (RPE) 12-16. Heart rate is measured during the last minute of each work rate (at 3:15, 3:30, 3:45, and 4:00). Then, VO2max is estimated with a formula.

  at baseline (pre-intervention) and at the week 5 (post-intervention)

• The difference in neuromuscular function via force accuracy task

  Force accuracy is an important parameter since most daily activities are conducted at submaximal levels, where force fluctuation can be observed and reduce the ability to create an intended movement. Force accuracy will be measured on OTBiolab+ application.

  at baseline (pre-intervention) and at the week 5 (post-intervention)

• The changes in functional ability via the Timed Up and Go test (TUG)

  The TUG is a tool for assessing lower limb functional ability and its use has been recommended by the literature. The time required to finish the test is commonly utilised as the primary outcome of the evaluation. This test has previously been used in several studies to assess functional ability.

  at baseline (pre-intervention) and at the week 5 (post-intervention)

• The difference between upper limb dexterity time before and after the intervention via 9-hole peg task

  The 9-hole peg test has been shown to be a valid and reliable tool to measure upper extremity dexterity in various groups including healthy older adults. The number of seconds it takes for the participant to complete the test is used for scoring. A shorter completion time is a better value.

  at baseline (pre-intervention) and at the week 5 (post-intervention)

• The changes in cognitive function via Mini-ACE

  The Mini-ACE is a brief cognitive screening test that evaluates four main cognitive areas (orientation, memory, language and visuospatial function). Higher value on this scale means better cognition.

  at baseline (pre-intervention) and at the week 5 (post-intervention)

• The changes of muscle strength with handgrip strength

  Isometric hand grip strength is closely correlated with the strength of the muscles in the lower extremities, and the torque of the knee, and poor mobility is clinically indicated by low handgrip strength. Higher values mean better results.

  at Baseline (pre-assessment) and at the week 5 (post-assessment)

• The change in cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) capacity via 6-minute walking test (6MWT)

  In the 6MWT, participants walk as much as they can for six minutes along a continuous, interior track that is 30 metres long and has a hard surface. It is a simple, cost-effective, and validated tool in several populations, and it has been frequently used to measure CRF as a field test. The distance covered on this test is reported. A higher distance covered means a better result.

  at baseline (pre-intervention) and at the week 5 (post-intervention)

• The difference in neuromuscular function via balance time in The Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) on motion platform

  Balance will be measured on FootScan (centre of pressure, distance travelled, ellipse area).

  at baseline (pre-intervention) and at the week 5 (post-intervention)

• The changes in functional ability via Short Physical Performance Battery Test

  Short Physical Performance Battery test includes the chair rise, balance, walk and gait speed assessments for functional mobility. An overall score is determined on a scale from 0 to 12, with lower scores representing a more severe level of disability and higher scores representing more functionally normal levels.

  at baseline (pre-intervention) and at the week 5 (post-intervention)

Study Arms (3)

treadmill exercise

EXPERIMENTAL

All participants should visit the research unit and attend the sessions 3 times a week for 5 weeks. Participants in this group will conduct moderate-intensity (64-76% of Heart rate maximum) treadmill training for 40 minutes each session. There is a 5-min warm-up before the intervention and a 5-min cool-down period after the intervention.

Other: treadmill exercise

cycle ergometer exercise

EXPERIMENTAL

All participants should visit the research unit and attend the sessions 3 times a week for 5 weeks. Participants in this group will conduct moderate-intensity (64-76% of Heart rate maximum) cycle ergometer training for 40 minutes each session. There is a 5-min warm-up before the intervention and a 5-min cool-down period after the intervention.

Other: cycle ergometer exercise

control group

NO INTERVENTION

The control group will receive 'no intervention'.

Interventions

treadmill exercise OTHER

Intervention consists of exercises only. Participants in this group will walk on a treadmill. The heart rates of the participants will be monitored with a heart rate monitor while exercising in order to maintain moderate-intensity.

treadmill exercise

cycle ergometer exercise OTHER

Intervention consists of exercises only. Participants in this group will cycle on an ergometer. The heart rates of the participants will be monitored with a heart rate monitor while exercising in order to maintain moderate-intensity.

cycle ergometer exercise

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 60 Years - 80 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Participant is willing and able to give informed consent for participation in the study
• Participants who are able to perform exercises safely and freely
• Participants who are 60-80 years old

You may not qualify if:

• Cardiopulmonary diseases except for well-controlled hypertension and asthma
• Severe cognitive impairment
• Joint disorders avoiding exercise participation
• A recent heart attack, unstable angina, or severe heart failure
• Having taken part in a research study in the last 3 months involving invasive procedures or an inconvenience allowance
• Participants who are currently engaging in more than 150 min of moderate-intensity exercise per week or 75 min of vigorous-intensity exercise per week (WHO physical activity recommendations)

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Nottingham: lead

Study Sites (1)

The University of Nottingham/Medical School

Derby, Derbyshire, DE22 3DT, United Kingdom

RECRUITING

Related Publications (16)

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Study Officials

• Mehmet C Yildirim, PhD

  The University of Nottingham

  STUDY DIRECTOR

Central Study Contacts

Bethan E Phillips, Professor

CONTACT

01332 724676; beth.phillips@nottingham.ac.uk

Jemima Collins, Assoc. Prof.

CONTACT

jemima.collins.old@nottingham.ac.uk

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Professor of Translational Physiology

Model Details: Group 1: moderate-intensity treadmill training Group 2: moderate-intensity cycle ergometer training Group 3: control

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: September 27, 2024
• First Posted: May 2, 2025
• Study Start: June 1, 2024
• Primary Completion: February 1, 2026
• Study Completion: February 1, 2026
• Last Updated: May 2, 2025

Record last verified: 2024-09

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

GB (1)