Sex Hormones and Aging

NCT07848438 | Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: HUM00289422
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 120
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This study investigates the influence of sex hormones and exercise on age-related neuromuscular decline in females. Specifically, the research aims to evaluate how hormonal variations impact both age-associated neuromuscular decline and the subsequent adaptations to exercise and resistance training. Age-related declines in neuromuscular function are especially pronounced in females, potentially due to the sharp drop in estradiol after menopause. This project will compare postmenopausal females who have not taken hormonal therapy (HT) to age-matched females taking HT.

Conditions

Menopause; Menopausal Hormone Therapy; Aging

Keywords

Menopause; Menopausal Hormone Therapy; Hormone Replacement Therapy

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (3)

• Strength - Maximal Voluntary Contraction (MVC)

  Changes in MVC after 8 weeks resistance training. MVC is the greatest force generated during a brief isometric contraction.

  One session before and then after 8 weeks of training

• Fatigability - Reduction in Power

  Reduction in limb power and maximal force in response to a dynamic fatiguing contraction.

  One session before and then after 8 weeks of training

• Strength - 1 Repetition Maximum

  Reduction in limb power and maximal force in response to a dynamic fatiguing contraction

  One session before and then after 8 weeks of training

Study Arms (2)

Postmenopausal Hormone Therapy

EXPERIMENTAL

Postmenopausal females who are currently taking hormone replacement therapy

Other: HRT: High-Resistance Strength Training

Postmenopausal Female Controls

EXPERIMENTAL

Postmenopausal females who have no history of taking hormone replacement therapy

Other: Control: High-Resistance Strength Training

Interventions

HRT: High-Resistance Strength Training OTHER

Each participant will attend 2 sessions per week for 8 weeks. A training session will start with a 10-minute full body dynamic warm-up (e.g., bodyweight movements and mobility exercises). The participant will then perform bilateral lower body high-resistance strength training exercises (leg extension and leg press) for 4 sets of 8-10 repetitions.

Postmenopausal Hormone Therapy

Control: High-Resistance Strength Training OTHER

Each participant will attend 2 sessions per week for 8 weeks. A training session will start with a 10-minute full body dynamic warm-up (e.g., bodyweight movements and mobility exercises). The participant will then perform bilateral lower body high-resistance strength training exercises (leg extension and leg press) for 4 sets of 8-10 repetitions.

Postmenopausal Female Controls

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 50 Years - 70 Years
• Sex: female
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may not qualify if:

• Females who are pregnant or likely to be pregnant. Female subjects of childbearing age will be asked of the possibility of pregnancy and will be excluded from the study if they are pregnant or become pregnant during the study.
• Females who are not currently taking HT but have taken HT in the past 5 years.
• Severe obesity (body mass index, BMI, \> 45 kg/m2): this will be calculated from measured height and weight
• Untreated hypothyroidism
• Uncontrolled blood pressure (\>160/100 mmHg at rest)
• Epilepsy or increased risk of seizures
• Metal implants in the body, excluding the mouth
• Head injury in the past 6 months
• People who are taking any of the following medications: Medications that affect cortical excitability, Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use in the past 24 hours or chronic use of NSAIDs, Beta blockers or any other heart rate stabilizing medications, Any neurological, cardiovascular or musculoskeletal disease that precludes exercise testing

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Michigan: lead

Study Sites (1)

University of Michigan

Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, United States

RECRUITING

Central Study Contacts

Sandra Hunter, PhD

CONTACT

(734) 647-9819; sandrahu@umich.edu

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NON RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: BASIC SCIENCE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Francie Kraker Goodridge Collegiate Professor of Kinesiology and Professor of Kinesiology, School of Kinesiology

Model Details: Each participant will attend 2 sessions per week for 8 weeks. A training session will start with a 10-minute full body dynamic warm-up (e.g., bodyweight movements and mobility exercises). The participant will then perform bilateral lower body high-resistance strength training exercises (leg extension and leg press) for 4 sets of 8-10 repetitions.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: September 23, 2026
• First Posted: September 30, 2026
• Study Start: August 20, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): August 1, 2031
• Study Completion (Estimated): August 1, 2031
• Last Updated: September 30, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-09

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)