The Impact of Biological Mechanisms of Aging on Response Variability to Resistance Training in Older Adults (BRIO)

September 15, 2025 updated by: Nathan K. LeBrasseur, Mayo Clinic

The Impact of Biological Mechanisms of Aging on Response Variability to Resistance Training in Older Adults (BRIO): A Randomized, Placebo-controlled Trial of Progressive Resistance Training in Older Adults.

To critically examine biological, clinical, and behavioral modulators of progressive resistance training-associated exercise response heterogeneity in physical function and whole-body metabolism in older adults.

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.

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.
300

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 Locations

  • United States
    • Massachusetts
      • Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02111
        • Recruiting
        • Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Tufts University
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Roger Fielding, PhD
        • Contact:
    • Minnesota
      • Rochester, Minnesota, United States, 55905
        • Recruiting
        • Mayo Clinic
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Nathan LeBrasseur, Ph.D, MS

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

  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • aged greater than or equal to 65 years
  • sedentary (Community Healthy Activities Model Program for Seniors physical activity questionnaire to identify and exclude persons engaged in regular (125 min/week or more) moderate intensity physical activity
  • at risk for mobility disability score of less than or equal to 10 (but greater than 3) on the SPPB
  • willing to be randomized into HE or PRT
  • willing to be transported or transport themselves to the clinical sites for the intervention and assessments

Exclusion Criteria:

  • unwillingness to provide informed consent
  • participation in lifestyle or pharmacologic intervention trial or structured program of exercise training in the past 6 months
  • an SPPB score of less than or equal to 3
  • osteoarthritis or condition with joint pain limiting daily life activities
  • significant weight loss or gain (7.5% of body weight) in past six months
  • current anti-coagulant or anti-platelet therapy (Coumadin, Eliquis, Pradaxa, Xarelto, heparin, Lovenox, Plavix)
  • clinically significant abnormality in any of the screening laboratory values, including those identified as outside of the "normal limits', that are deemed to be of concern for participation in the study by the study physician
  • acute or terminal illness
  • Mini Mental State Exam (MMSE) <23
  • myocardial infarction in the previous 6 months or other symptomatic coronary artery disease
  • New York Heart Association Class III or IV congestive heart failure
  • serious conduction disorder (e.g., 3rd degree heart block), uncontrolled arrhythmia, or new Q waves or ST-segment depressions (>3 mm) on ECG
  • chronic obstructive pulmonary disease requiring oxygen therapy
  • upper or lower extremity fracture in the previous 6 months
  • uncontrolled hypertension (150/90 mm Hg)
  • neuromuscular diseases and/or drugs which affect neuromuscular function
  • current use of anabolic steroids, growth hormone, replacement androgen therapy, anti-androgen therapy
  • allergy to lidocaine
  • presence of significant liver or renal disease (eGFR < 45 mL/min)
  • diagnosis of type I diabetes mellitus or insulin requiring type 2 diabetes mellitus
  • HbA1c > 7%
  • BMI <21 or >35 for men or >40 for women
  • excessive alcohol intake (>14 alcoholic beverages per wk.)
  • current tobacco use
  • current participation in any interventional clinical trial
  • current use of weight loss medications

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: Basic Science
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Double

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.
Other: Progressive Resistance Training
participants will attend exercise session 3 times per week.
Other: Progressive Resistance Training
3 times a week
Other: Health Education
participants will attend health educations classed 1 time per week.
Other: Health Education
once a 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
Precisely define the variability in changes in physical function
Time Frame: baseline, 6 months
Measured by the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), a 0-12 categorical scale of walking speed, standing balance, and repeated sit-to-stand time, with higher scores reflecting better physical function.
baseline, 6 months
Precisely define the variability in changes in blood glucose concentrations in response to a meal tolerance test
Time Frame: baseline, 6 months
Blood glucose concentrations (millimoles/liter) will be measured in response to a physiologically relevant meal challenge. Lower values are indicative of better metabolic health.
baseline, 6 months

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
Precisely define the variability in changes in skeletal muscle size.
Time Frame: baseline, 6 months
Measured by computed tomography scans of the mid-thigh. Larger muscle cross-sectional area (cm^2) reflects a greater quantity of skeletal muscle.
baseline, 6 months
Precisely define the variability in changes in skeletal muscle strength.
Time Frame: baseline, 6 months
Measured by the one-repetition maximum, in newtons, on a leg press device, with higher scores reflecting greater skeletal muscle strength.
baseline, 6 months
Precisely define the variability in changes in six-minute walk distance.
Time Frame: baseline, 6 months
Measured by the distance (meters) walked in six minutes, with longer distances reflecting better physical function.
baseline, 6 months
Precisely define the variability in insulin secretion in response to a mixed meal tolerance test.
Time Frame: baseline, 6 months
Blood insulin concentrations (pmol/L) will be measured in response to a physiologically relevant meal challenge. Insulin concentrations in a physiological range reflect better metabolic health, while low insulin concentrations can reflect an impaired insulin response and high insulin concentrations can reflect peripheral insulin resistance.
baseline, 6 months
Precisely define the variability in changes in the percentage of glycated hemoglobin in the blood.
Time Frame: baseline, 6 months
Measured by the percentage of glycated hemoglobin in the blood (often referred to as HbA1c). A lower percentage of HbAlc reflects lower blood glucose concentrations over the past two to three months.
baseline, 6 months
Precisely define the variability in changes in blood lipids.
Time Frame: baseline, 6 months
Blood lipids, including total cholesterol, low density lipoproteins (LDLs), high density lipoproteins (HDLs), and triglycerides will be measured. Lower levels of total cholesterol (mg/dL), LDLs (mg/dL), and triglycerides (mg/dL), and higher levels of HDLs (mg/dL), are reflective of better metabolic health.
baseline, 6 months
Precisely define the variability in changes in waist-to-hip ratio.
Time Frame: baseline, 6 months
The circumference (cm) of the waist and hips will be measured and a ratio will be calculated. A lower waist-to-hip ratio is reflective of a better body composition (less central obesity or visceral fat).
baseline, 6 months

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.
Mayo Clinic

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 Institute on Aging (NIA)
Tufts University Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging

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: Nathan LeBrasseur, Ph.D, MS, Mayo Clinic

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.
August 11, 2025

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.
August 31, 2029

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.
August 31, 2030

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).
January 16, 2025

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.
April 15, 2025

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.
April 23, 2025

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 16, 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 15, 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.
August 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

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.
  • 24-010008
  • R01AG089150 (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.

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