Glycolytic Phenotype (vLapeak) and Magnitude of Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy After Resistance Training

NCT07721766 | Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: HyperLa
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 120
• Locations: 4 countries
• Sites: 8

Brief Summary

The HyperLa study investigates whether a person's "glycolyticness"-the efficiency with which their body uses glycolysis for energy-can predict how much their muscles will grow (hypertrophy) in response to resistance training. Participants will undergo a specialized "vLapeak" test, which measures the maximal rate of lactate accumulation during a 10-second all-out cycling sprint, to determine their individual glycolytic power. Following this initial assessment, participants will complete eight weeks of standardized, twice-weekly resistance training focused on the lower body. The study aims to determine if individuals with higher initial vLapeak values experience greater increases in muscle size compared to those with lower values. This research may help explain why people respond differently to exercise and support the development of personalized training programs.

Conditions

Healthy Volunteers; Muscle Hypertrophy; Glycolysis; Moderately Trainend

Keywords

Resistance Training; vLapeak; Skeletal Muscle Adaptation; Metabolic Phenotyping; Exercise Physiology

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Change in mid-thigh Muscle Thickness

  Change in mid-thigh muscle thickness (combination of rectus femoris and vastus intermedius) as measured by ultrasound.

  Baseline and Week 8 (completion of training intervention)

• Change in lateral-thigh Muscle Thickness

  Change in lateral thigh muscle thickness (combination of vastus lateralis and vastus intermedius) as measured by ultrasound.

  Baseline and Week 8 (completion of training intervention)

Secondary Outcomes (5)

• Change in Peak Rate of Blood Lactate Accumulation (vLapeak)

  Baseline and Week 8 (completion of training intervention)

• Change in Vastus Lateralis Muscle Cross-Sectional Area (CSA)

  Baseline and Week 8 (completion of training intervention)

• Maximal Strength (3RM) for Leg Press

  Baseline and Week 8 (completion of training intervention)

• Maximal Strength (3RM) for Leg Exentsion

  Baseline and Week 8 (completion of training intervention)

• Change in Relative Abundance of Selected Plasma Metabolites

  Baseline and Week 8 (completion of training intervention)

Study Arms (1)

Resistance Training Group

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants in this single-arm cohort will undergo an 8-week standardized, hypertrophy-focused lower-body resistance training program.

Behavioral: Hypertrophy-focused Resistance Training

Interventions

Hypertrophy-focused Resistance Training BEHAVIORAL

Standardized training consisting of twice-weekly supervised sessions for 8 weeks. Each session includes 4 sets of 8-12 repetitions of leg press (or Smith-machine squat) and leg extensions. Training intensity progresses from an RPE of 6 to voluntary muscular failure starting from week three.

Resistance Training Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 39 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Body Mass Index (BMI) between 20-29 kg/m2
• No structured resistance training performed in the last twelve months.
• Maximum of four sessions per week of recreational or low-to-moderate aerobic endurance activity.
• No history of competitive strength or physique sports.

You may not qualify if:

• Diagnosed cardiovascular, pulmonary, metabolic, neuromuscular, or orthopaedic disease that contraindicates exercise.
• Positive response to any question on the PAR-Q 2025 questionnaire.
• Current use of anabolic steroids, creatine, or other substances known to strongly influence muscle hypertrophy.
• Regular engagement in shift work.
• Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Technical University of Munich: lead
• Chemnitz University of Technology: collaborator
• DLR German Aerospace Center: collaborator
• University of Jyvaskyla: collaborator
• University of Limerick: collaborator
• IST University of Applied Sciences Düsseldorf: collaborator
• Institute for Applied Training Science (IAT/FES e.V.): collaborator

Study Sites (8)

University of Jyväskylä, Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences

Jyväskylä, Central Finland, 40014, Finland

RECRUITING

Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Medicine and Health

München, Bavaria, 80809, Germany

RECRUITING

DLR Cologne, Department of Metabolism and Human Performance

Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, 51147, Germany

RECRUITING

iST University of Applied Sciences

Düsseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, 40233, Germany

RECRUITING

TU Chemnitz, Sports Medicine and Exercise Therapy

Chemnitz, Saxony, 09126, Germany

RECRUITING

Institute for Applied Training Science (IAT) Leipzig

Leipzig, Saxony, 04109, Germany

RECRUITING

University of Limerick, Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences (PESS)

Limerick, Limerick, V94 T9PX, Ireland

RECRUITING

Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Facultad de Ciencias de la Actividad Física y del Deporte (INEF)

Madrid, Madrid, 28040, Spain

RECRUITING

Related Publications (4)

• Ahtiainen JP, Walker S, Peltonen H, Holviala J, Sillanpaa E, Karavirta L, Sallinen J, Mikkola J, Valkeinen H, Mero A, Hulmi JJ, Hakkinen K. Heterogeneity in resistance training-induced muscle strength and mass responses in men and women of different ages. Age (Dordr). 2016 Feb;38(1):10. doi: 10.1007/s11357-015-9870-1. Epub 2016 Jan 15.

  PMID: 26767377 BACKGROUND

• Wackerhage H, Kabasakalis A, Seiler S, Heck H. Is the vLamax for Glycolysis What the V O 2 max is for Oxidative Phosphorylation? Sports Med. 2025 Aug;55(8):1853-1866. doi: 10.1007/s40279-025-02259-6. Epub 2025 Jul 17.

  PMID: 40676393 BACKGROUND

• Wackerhage H, Vechetti IJ, Baumert P, Gehlert S, Becker L, Jaspers RT, de Angelis MH. Does a Hypertrophying Muscle Fibre Reprogramme its Metabolism Similar to a Cancer Cell? Sports Med. 2022 Nov;52(11):2569-2578. doi: 10.1007/s40279-022-01676-1. Epub 2022 Apr 23.

  PMID: 35460513 BACKGROUND

• Warburg O, Wind F, Negelein E. THE METABOLISM OF TUMORS IN THE BODY. J Gen Physiol. 1927 Mar 7;8(6):519-30. doi: 10.1085/jgp.8.6.519. No abstract available.

  PMID: 19872213 BACKGROUND

Central Study Contacts

Henning Wackerhage, Prof. Dr.

CONTACT

+49 89 289 24480; henning.wackerhage@tum.de

Lara Becker

CONTACT

lara.becker@tum.de

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Professor

Model Details: This is a multi-centre, prospective, single-arm interventional cohort study. All participants will undergo the same standardized, 8-week hypertrophy-focused resistance training program, consisting of twice-weekly supervised sessions. Because the study aims to correlate an individual's baseline metabolic phenotype (vLapeak) with their subsequent physical adaptation (muscle hypertrophy), no control group is utilized. Blinding is not possible due to the nature of the exercise intervention.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: June 25, 2026
• First Posted: July 23, 2026
• Study Start: May 4, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 1, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 1, 2026
• Last Updated: July 23, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-06

Locations

ES (1); DE (5); FI (1); IE (1)