Effects of Weekly Set Volume on Muscle Adaptation

September 8, 2026 updated by: Andreo Fernando Aguiar, Universidade Norte do Paraná

The Effect of Weekly Set Volume of Resistance Training on Strength and Hypertrophy

The progressive loss of strength and muscle mass is a natural aging process, with direct implications for functional capacity. Resistance training (RT) is considered the main intervention to counteract this decline. Although the RT guidelines are well established, the ideal weekly set volume to maximize strength and hypertrophy gains in older adults remains unknown. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of different volumes of weekly sets of RT on muscle strength and hypertrophy in older adults

Study Overview

Status

Status

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

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

BACKGROUND: The progressive loss of strength and muscle mass is a natural process of aging, with direct implications for functional capacity. Resistance training (RT) is considered the main intervention to counteract this decline. Although RT guidelines are well established, the ideal weekly volume of sets to maximize strength and hypertrophy gains in older adults remains unknown. PURPOSE: To investigate the effects of different weekly RT volumes on lower limb muscle strength and hypertrophy (quadriceps femoris) in older adults. METHODS: Fifty-seven older adults of both sexes will be matched for maximum dynamic strength (one repetition maximum - 1RM) and randomly divided into 03 groups: [Low Volume (LV = 6 sets/week, n = 19), Moderate Volume (MV = 18 sets/week, n = 19) and High Volume (LV = 30 sets/week, n = 18)]. All participants will undergo a 10-week resistance training protocol (3x/week), consisting of 8 exercises: bench press, leg press, seated row, leg extension, bicep curl, leg curl, triceps pulley, and seated calf raise. Only the leg extension and leg press exercises will be performed with different volumes of sets (VB = 1 set/exercise; VM = 3 sets/exercise; VA = 5 sets/exercise). The number of repetitions per set will be 8-12, and the training load will be adjusted every two weeks based on the maximum number of repetitions performed in the last training session. The following dependent variables will be analyzed before and after the training program: (1) maximum dynamic strength (1RM) and (2) maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) in the leg extension exercise, (3) muscle hypertrophy (thickness) of the quadriceps muscle and rectus femorisusing ultrasound images, and (4) rating of perceived exertion (RPE) and (5) affective responses (pleasure and displeasure) after training sessions. Data will be tested for normality and homogeneity using the Shapiro-Wilk's and Levene's tests, respectively. Changes over time and between groups will be analyzed with two-way repeated measures ANOVA tests. Violation of sphericity was corrected using the Greenhouse-Geisser method. When significant differences will be confirmed with the ANOVA, multiple comparison testing will be performed using the Bonferroni post hoc correction to identify these differences. Values will be expressed as mean (standard deviation and 95% confidence interval). The significance level was set at p < 0.05.

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.
57

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 Locations

  • Brazil
    • Paraná
      • Londrina, Paraná, Brazil, 86047-622
        • Northern University of Paraná

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:

  • Age between 65 and 80 years

Exclusion Criteria:

  • not having used any medication or substance that affects or improves muscle function for at least 3 months prior to the study,
  • having any physical or physiological limitation that may affect the ability to perform the tests and physical training,
  • not being able to understand the informed consent form and study procedures.

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: None (Open Label)

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: Low Volume (LV)
Participants will be performed 6 sets/week
Other: Low volume (LV)
Participants will be performed 6 sets/week during 10 weeks
Experimental: Moderate Volume (MV)
Participants will be performed 18 sets/week
Other: Moderate Volume (MV)
Participants will be performed 18 sets/week during 10 weeks
Experimental: High Volume (HV)
Participants will be performed 30 sets/week
Other: High Volume (HV)
Participants will be performed 30 sets/week during 10 weeks

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
Maximum dynamic strength (1RM)
Time Frame: baseline and after 10 weeks of intervention
The one-repetition maximum test will be performed on a bilateral leg extension machine. Briefly, participants will undergo 3 test attempts, interspersed with 5-minute intervals. Loads of 10-15% will be added after each attempt in order to reach the 1RM load within the 3 trials. Participants will be verbally encouraged during each attempt.
baseline and after 10 weeks of intervention
Maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC)
Time Frame: baseline and after 10 weeks of intervention
The MVIC test for the leg extension exercise (bilateral) will be performed using an isometric dynamometer (CEFISE Biotechnology, São Carlos, Brazil). Briefly, participants will perform three MVICs at 120º of knee flexion (180º = full extension) lasting 5 s, interspersed with 5 s of rest. Participants will be instructed and verbally encouraged to exert maximum force during all attempts. The highest value obtained for peak and mean torque of the three MVICs will be used for the analysis.
baseline and after 10 weeks of intervention
Muscle hypertrophy (thickness)
Time Frame: baseline and after 10 weeks of intervention
Muscle hypertrophy (thickness) of the quadriceps and rectus femoris muscles will be assessed using ultrasound images obtained at 3 anatomical points (30, 50, and 60% of the distance between the greater trochanter of the femur and the knee joint line). Muscle thickness will be analyzed using the image analysis program (ImageJ®).
baseline and after 10 weeks of 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
Rating of perceive exterion (RPE)
Time Frame: Immediately after completion of each set of exercise
Rating of perceived exertion (RPE) will be recorded immediately after completion of each set using the OMNI-RES scale. The participants will be instructed to report the perceived exertion value by indicating a number on the OMNI-RES scale (0 for ''no effort'' and 10 for ''maximal effort'') that best represented their momentary exertion.
Immediately after completion of each set of exercise
Affective responses (pleasure and displeasure)
Time Frame: Immediately after each exercise during training sessions
The affective response will be assessed using an 11-point affectivity scale, ranging from +5 to -5, with a score of zero considered neutral, positive numbers (+1 to +5) representing feelings of pleasure, and negative numbers (-1 to -5) representing feelings of displeasure.
Immediately after each exercise during training sessions

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.
Universidade Norte do Paraná

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

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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.
January 1, 2026

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.
April 6, 2026

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.
July 10, 2026

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 7, 2026

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.
January 26, 2026

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.
January 30, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

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, 2026

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 8, 2026

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, 2026

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.
  • Weekly set volume study

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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