RESISTANCE TRAINING AND CAPILLARIZATION - ROLE ON THE ANABOLIC RESPONSE IN OLDER ADULTS

NCT07680036 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: RECAP
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 30
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn how muscle capillaries influence the response to resistance exercise training in older adults. The study will include older men and women who may experience age-related declines in muscle mass and function. The main questions it aims to answer are:

• Does baseline muscle capillarization influence the increase in muscle size and function following resistance exercise training?
• Can resistance exercise stimulate the formation of new capillaries in older adults with lower baseline capillarization, and how is this related to muscle growth? Participants will:
• Undergo assessments of muscle structure, capillarization, and physical function before and after the intervention.
• Participate in a supervised resistance exercise training program.
• Provide muscle samples and other physiological measurements to evaluate changes in muscle growth and blood vessel formation. Researchers will analyze the relationship between baseline muscle capillarization, exercise-induced angiogenesis, and improvements in muscle mass and function to better understand why some older adults respond more effectively to resistance exercise than others.

Conditions

Older Adults (65 Years and Older)

Keywords

resistance training; capillary density; muscle hypertrophy

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• muscle hypertrophy

  difference of kilograms of Lean Body Mass from baseline measured by DEXA

  3 months

• capillary density

  change on the number of capillary per muscle fiber measured histochemically trought muscle biopsy.

  3 month

Study Arms (3)

RRR

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Effect of 3 months of progressive resistance training on muscle adaptation in older adults

Other: Exercise

ARR

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Effect of 1 month of aerobic training followed by 2 months of progressive resistance training on muscle adaptation in older adults

Other: Exercise

RAR

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Effect of the combination of 1 month of resistance training followed by 1 month of aerobic training and 1 months of progressive resistance training on muscle adaptation in older adults

Other: Exercise

Interventions

Exercise OTHER

2 months of different combination of aerobic and resistance training before undergoing to 1 month of resistance training at 80% 1RM

ARR; RAR; RRR

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 65 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Age ≥ 65 years
• Body Mass Index (BMI) \>18 and \<30 kg/m²
• Stable body weight for at least 3 months prior to enrollment

You may not qualify if:

• Prediabetes or diabetes according to ADA criteria
• Chronic diseases, including cardiovascular, liver, respiratory diseases, or cancer
• Acute inflammatory conditions, infections, or other clinically significant illnesses
• Regular participation in vigorous physical activity (≥2 sessions per week)
• Current or recent (within the previous 3 months) treatment with steroid medications
• Regular use of protein supplements

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Padova: lead

Study Sites (1)

Nutrition and Exercise Lab, DSB

Padova, PD, 35131, Italy

Location

MeSH Terms

Interventions

Exercise

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

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

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: June 25, 2026
• First Posted: July 1, 2026
• Study Start: January 1, 2024
• Primary Completion: December 31, 2025
• Study Completion: May 31, 2026
• Last Updated: July 7, 2026

Record last verified: 2024-01

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

IT (1)