Reactive Balance Training and Fitness

September 2, 2025 updated by: Avril Mansfield, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute

Effect of Reactive Balance Training on Physical Fitness Post-stroke

People with stroke should exercise to maintain function and reduce the risk of another stroke. Different types of exercise target different components of fitness, such as aerobic, strength, and balance. Post-stroke exercise guidelines exist for each type of exercise separately (eg, brisk walking as aerobic exercise, resistance training for strength, and Tai Chi for balance). Meeting these recommendations means spending a lot of time exercising, and people with stroke say that lack of time and fatigue are barriers to exercise. It is possible to target several components of fitness with one type of exercise.

'Reactive balance training' (RBT) is a type of exercise that improves control of reactions that are needed to prevent a fall after losing balance, and is the only type of exercise with potential to prevent falls in daily life post-stroke. Because RBT involves repeated whole-body movements it may have similar aerobic benefit as other exercises using whole-body movements (eg, brisk walking). Also, leg muscles need to generate a lot of force to make rapid steps in RBT; repeatedly generating this force may help to improve strength.

The purpose of this study is to determine if RBT improves two important components of fitness among people with chronic stroke: aerobic capacity and strength. The investigators expect that the improvements in aerobic capacity and strength after RBT will not be any worse than after an exercise program that specifically targets aerobic fitness and strength. A secondary purpose of this study is to determine the effects of RBT compared to aerobic and strength training on balance control and balance confidence. The investigators expect that RBT will lead to greater improvements in balance control and balance confidence than an aerobic and strength training program.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Terminated

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

This is an assessor-blind randomized non-inferiority trial with an internal pilot study. Research activities will take place at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute and the University of Toronto. For the internal pilot study, we will initially recruit 20 participants with chronic stroke and randomly assign them to one of two groups: 1) RBT, or 2) AST. Cardiorespiratory fitness, lower-extremity strength, balance control, and balance confidence will be measured pre- and post-intervention. We will calculate the final target sample size using the variability observed in this internal pilot. Additionally, a Trial Steering Committee will determine the criteria for the progression from the internal pilot to the main study, and will decide on the continuation of the internal pilot with or without modifications based on those pre-defined criteria (e.g., criteria based on feasibility or preliminary evidence of effect of the interventions from examination of effect sizes).

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
28

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • Canada
    • Ontario
      • Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5G 2A2
        • Toronto Rehabilitation Institute

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

14 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Community-dwelling adults with chronic stroke (>6 months post-stroke).
  • Able to stand independently without upper-limb support for >30 seconds.
  • Able to tolerate at least 10 postural perturbations while wearing a safety harness.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • >2.1m tall and/or weighing >150kg (limits of the safety harness system).
  • Other neurological condition that could affect balance control (e.g., Parkinson's disease).
  • Lower extremity amputation.
  • Cognitive, language or communication impairments affecting understanding instructions.
  • Recent (last 6 months) significant illness, injury or surgery.
  • Severe osteoporosis, defined by diagnosis of osteoporosis with fracture.
  • Severe uncontrolled hypertension, or uncontrolled diabetes.
  • Contraindications to exercise testing, such as symptomatic aortic stenosis, complex life-threatening arrhythmias, unstable angina, or orthostatic blood pressure decrease of >20 mmHg with symptoms.
  • Acute or chronic illness or injury likely to be exacerbated by exercise (e.g., recent lower-extremity fracture).
  • Currently attending in- or out-patient physiotherapy, in which they receive aerobic training, balance training or strength training for lower limb.
  • Significant exercise participation: current physical activity levels that meet the recommended guidelines (at least 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous or at least 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity/week) as calculated using the moderate and vigorous components of the Leisure Time Exercise Questionnaire (LTEQ) in the month prior to starting the study.
  • Received perturbation training at Toronto Rehab <1 year previously.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Reactive balance training
Other: Reactive balance training
A variety of tasks will be included to induce external or internal perturbations. External perturbations will be caused by forces outside participants' control (e.g. a push or pull from the physiotherapist). Internal perturbations are when the participant fails to control the centre of mass-base of support relationship during voluntary movement; e.g., 'agility' tasks such as kicking a soccer ball. Each session will include a five-minute warm-up, at least 60 perturbations, and a five-minute cool-down. The difficulty of the task will be set such that participants will 'fail' to recover balance ~50% of the time; 'failure' is defined as use of an upper extremity response, use of external assistance (i.e. from the overhead harness or physiotherapist), or taking more than 2 steps to regain stability. Training tasks will progressed by increasing the perturbation magnitude, including cognitive or movement tasks, or imposing sensory or environmental challenges (e.g. eyes closed, obstacles).
Active Comparator: Aerobic and strength training
Other: Aerobic and strength training (AST)

AST sessions will consist of 30 minutes of aerobic and 30 minutes of strength training.

Aerobic training: Aerobic training will be done using treadmill walking or combination of modalities (e.g. cycling or recumbent stepping) for those unable to maintain the target heart rate with walking. The heart rate that occurred at the ventilatory threshold (V̇O2VT) during the cardiopulmonary exercise test will be used to prescribe intensity. In the absence of a discernible V̇O2VT a combination of the following will be used: 60-80% of heart rate reserve, peak oxygen uptake, and rating of perceived exertion of 11-16 (Borg 6-20 scale). Prescriptions will be initially progressed by increasing duration to ≥20 minutes and then increasing intensity to target heart rate.

Resistance training: Participants will be prescribed 1-2 sets of 8 exercises per session (squat, heel raise, ankle dorsiflexion, knee extension and flexion, abdominal curl-up, wall push up, bicep curl), at 70% of 1 repetition maximum.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Aerobic capacity
Time Frame: Data will be collected immediately pre- and post-intervention. We will analyse the change in the outcome from pre- to post-intervention.
A symptom-limited cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) will be performed. The CPET will be medically supervised. It will be conducted on the same modality on subsequent assessments and at the same time of day as the supervised exercise classes to minimize effects of heart rate altering medication on exercise prescription. Resistance will be increased every minute until either the patient indicates that he/she would like to stop or abnormalities appear that necessitate discontinuing the test. Breath-by-breath gas samples will be collected via calibrated metabolic cart to determine V̇O2peak and V̇O2VT.
Data will be collected immediately pre- and post-intervention. We will analyse the change in the outcome from pre- to post-intervention.
Lower extremity strength
Time Frame: Data will be collected immediately pre- and post-intervention. We will analyse the change in the outcome from pre- to post-intervention.
Peak isokinetic torque will be measured using a isokinetic dynamometer. Participants will be seated in the chair (hips at approximately 90 degrees) with the axis of rotation of the dynamometer aligned to the femoral condyles. Shoulder straps will secure the torso and a thigh strap over the active leg will minimize compensatory movements during testing. The inactive leg will be positioned at 90 degrees knee flexion and held in place with a padded bar below the seat. Peak isokinetic muscle torque at a speed of 60 degrees/s will be assessed. Two to three warm-up contractions will be performed at ~50-75% of perceived maximum effort. This will be followed by 5 maximal efforts to obtain peak torque. A one-minute rest will be given between trials to minimize fatigue. The highest torque achieved among the three maximal trials will be used as the peak isokinetic torque. The task will be performed for both legs.
Data will be collected immediately pre- and post-intervention. We will analyse the change in the outcome from pre- to post-intervention.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Berg balance scale
Time Frame: Data will be collected immediately pre- and post-intervention. We will analyse the change in the outcome from pre- to post-intervention.
Construct: Functional balance Scale range: 0-56 Higher values represent improved outcome
Data will be collected immediately pre- and post-intervention. We will analyse the change in the outcome from pre- to post-intervention.
Mini-Balance Evaluation Systems Test
Time Frame: Data will be collected immediately pre- and post-intervention. We will analyse the change in the outcome from pre- to post-intervention.
Construct: Anticipatory balance control, reactive balance control, gait, and sensory orientation in balance Scale range: 0-28 (total), 0-6 (anticipatory balance control), 0-6 (reactive balance control), 0-10 (gait), 0-6 (sensory orientation) Higher values represent improved outcome The total score is created by adding the sub-scale scores
Data will be collected immediately pre- and post-intervention. We will analyse the change in the outcome from pre- to post-intervention.
Six-minute walk test
Time Frame: Data will be collected immediately pre- and post-intervention. We will analyse the change in the outcome from pre- to post-intervention.
Data will be collected immediately pre- and post-intervention. We will analyse the change in the outcome from pre- to post-intervention.
Activities-specific Balance Confidence scale
Time Frame: Data will be collected immediately pre- and post-intervention. We will analyse the change in the outcome from pre- to post-intervention.
Construct: balance confidence Scale range: 0-100 Higher values represent improved outcome
Data will be collected immediately pre- and post-intervention. We will analyse the change in the outcome from pre- to post-intervention.
Falls in daily life
Time Frame: For 12 months post-intervention
A fall is defined as "an event that results in a person coming to rest unintentionally on the ground or other lower level". Participants will complete a 12-month falls monitoring period after completing the initial training period. Participants will be provided stamped address postcards containing a calendar to record falls, which they will complete daily. Participants will return each postcard to the research team fortnightly. If a participant does not complete the event tracking within two weeks the research assistant will call them. In this telephone call, the research assistant will try to ascertain if the participant has experienced a fall in the previous two weeks. Participants who report a fall on the calendar will be contacted by the to complete a questionnaire asking about the circumstances of the fall.
For 12 months post-intervention
Physical Activity Scale for Individuals with Physical Disabilities
Time Frame: 4 months, 8 months, and 12 months post-intervention
Construct: physical activity in daily life Scale range: not applicable (the maximum score that is technically achievable would not be feasible) Higher scores represent improved outcome
4 months, 8 months, and 12 months post-intervention
Subjective Index of Physical and Social Outcome
Time Frame: 4 months, 8 months, and 12 months post-intervention
Construct: participation Scale range: 0-40 (total); 0-20 (social sub-scale), 0-20 (physical sub-scale) Higher scores represent improved outcome The total score is the sum of the sub-scale scores
4 months, 8 months, and 12 months post-intervention

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Toronto Rehabilitation Institute

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
University of Toronto
Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Avril Mansfield, PhD, University Health Network, Toronto

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
September 1, 2019

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
May 28, 2024

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
May 16, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
July 29, 2019

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
July 31, 2019

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
August 2, 2019

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimated)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
September 9, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
September 2, 2025

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
September 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 18-5784

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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