AM vs PM Exercise Training

September 24, 2025 updated by: Katharine Currie, Michigan State University

Effects of AM vs. PM Exercise Training on Blood Pressure and Vascular Health in Postmenopausal Females With Hypertension

The treatment of high blood pressure, or hypertension, is multifaceted and can include pharmacological therapies (i.e., medications) and lifestyle modifications such as physical activity. Chronotherapy, which describes timing of a treatment with the body's daily rhythms, has recently been used with hypertension medications and has been shown to be effective at lowering blood pressure and reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease events. Specifically, taking medications in the evening was shown to be more effective than morning medication routines. Little information is available about the effectiveness of chronotherapy combined with exercise (i.e., planned physical activity) interventions in older adults with hypertension. The purpose of this study is to examine how exercise training performed in the morning and early evening affects blood pressure and other measures of blood vessel health in postmenopausal females with hypertension.

Study Overview

Status

Status

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

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

Blood pressure has an internal rhythm associated with the 24-hr clock. Nocturnal blood pressure (BP) is a key contributor to cardiovascular health and may be improved by exercise. Moreover, the time of day of the exercise may be a key factor. This study aims to evaluate the effects of morning and evening exercise training on BP and other measures of vascular function in older females with hypertension.

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 (Estimated)

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.
79

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.
  • Name: Katharine Currie, PhD
  • Phone Number: 517-432-4073
  • Email: curriek4@msu.edu

Study Contact Backup

  • Name: Jill Slade, PhD
  • Phone Number: 5178843351
  • Email: jslade@msu.edu

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Michigan
      • East Lansing, Michigan, United States, 48824
        • Recruiting
        • Michigan State University
        • Contact:
        • Contact:

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

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Systolic BP equal to or greater than 130 mmHg without BP medication or greater than 120 mmHg with medication and diastolic blood pressure equal to and greater than 80 mmHg
  • 55-80 years old
  • Post-menopausal female
  • Able to walk without assistance

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Habitually physically active defined as 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity per week
  • Overt pulmonary disease/condition as follows: chronic bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, emphysema, or pulmonary hypertension
  • Cardiometabolic disease/condition as follows: diabetes, heart failure, peripheral arterial disease, stroke, coronary artery disease, renal disease, secondary hypertension, chronic venous insufficiency or deep vein thrombosis within last 6 months
  • Cancer within last 5 years
  • Body mass index >39 kg/m2
  • Current smoking or vape
  • Evening shift work
  • uncontrolled thyroid disorder
  • 2 or more falls in the last year
  • Anemia within 3 months of enrollment
  • Parkinson's disease
  • Dementia
  • Unstable angina
  • Acute pulmonary embolus or infarction
  • Acute myocarditis or pericarditis
  • Acute aortic dissection

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: Crossover 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: Morning (AM)
Exercise starting before 10:01 AM
Behavioral: 6 weeks of exercise training (Pre-training)
handgrip and treadmill walking 4 days per week
Behavioral: 6 weeks of exercise training (Post-training)
handgrip and treadmill walking 4 days per week
Experimental: Evening (PM)
Exercise starting after 3:59 PM
Behavioral: 6 weeks of exercise training (Pre-training)
handgrip and treadmill walking 4 days per week
Behavioral: 6 weeks of exercise training (Post-training)
handgrip and treadmill walking 4 days per week

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
Nocturnal systolic blood pressure (BP)
Time Frame: 6 weeks
Change in systolic nocturnal BP (Pre-training - Post-training)
6 weeks

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
Endothelial function
Time Frame: 6 weeks
Change in flow mediated dilation of the brachial artery (Post-training - Pre-training)
6 weeks
Microvascular function
Time Frame: 6 weeks
Change in rapid onset vasodilation of the popliteal artery
6 weeks
Ambulatory blood pressure
Time Frame: 6 weeks
Change in systolic and diastolic BPs over a 24-hr period (Pre-training - Post-training)
6 weeks
Arterial stiffness
Time Frame: 6 weeks
Change in carotid femoral pulse wave velocity (Pre-training - Post-training)
6 weeks

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.
Michigan State University

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.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)

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.
June 11, 2024

Primary Completion (Estimated)

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.
July 1, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

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.
July 1, 2027

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).
September 6, 2023

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.
September 6, 2023

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.
September 18, 2023

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 25, 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 24, 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.
  • R01HL164575-Study3
  • 1R01HL164575-01A1 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

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

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

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.

Cookie Settings

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. For more details carefully read our Privacy and Cookies Policy. ...>>>You can change your preferences or withdraw your consent at any time by deleting the cookies from your website or computer as described in the policy. Please accept it and choose your preferences by ticking the corresponding boxes in the "Manage Settings" section below. Please carefully read our Terms of Service before you proceed with using any part of this website.
«Manage Settings