Combined Effects of NMES and LIRT on Muscle Strength, Girth, and Physical Endurance in the Geriatric Population

June 8, 2026 updated by: Riphah International University

Combined Effects of Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation and Low-intensity Resistance Training on Muscle Strength, Girth, and Physical Endurance in Geriatric Population

This study will employ a randomized controlled trial design with a pre-post design to investigate the combined effects of Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation (NMES) and Low-Intensity Resistance Training (LIRT) on muscle strength, muscle girth, and physical endurance in the geriatric population. Participants will be randomly assigned to either an intervention group or a control group.

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

  • Informed Consent: Obtain informed consent from participants before starting the study.

    2. Demographic Data Collection: Collect demographic data, including age, sex, height, weight, and medical history.

    3. Muscle Strength Assessment: Measure muscle strength using a dynamometer (e.g., handgrip strength or knee extension strength).

    4. Muscle Girth Measurement: Measure muscle girth using a flexible measuring tape (e.g., mid-upper arm or thigh circumference).

    5. 6-Minute Walk Test (6MWT): Conduct the 6MWT to assess physical endurance. Intervention

    1. NMES Sessions: Administer NMES sessions 2-3 times a week for 4-5 weeks.
    2. LIRT Sessions: Conduct LIRT exercises 2-3 times a week for 4-5weeks, targeting major muscle groups of upper and lower limb.

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.
44

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

  • Pakistan
    • Punjab Province
      • Lahore, Punjab Province, Pakistan, 54000
        • Recruiting

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

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:• Age: 65 to 85 (35)

  • Both male and female will be added(29)
  • Patients with low calf muscle mass <31.5 cm for females and <33.5 cm for males will be included in this study(36).
  • Participants able to complete the Five Times Sit-to-Stand Test in ≤ 10 seconds (men) or ≤ 11 seconds (women)(37).
  • Participants must have ability to walk independently and absence of severe medical conditions(29).
  • Participants who takes > 12 seconds to complete TUG will be included in this study(38

Exclusion Criteria:• Participants with contraindications to NMES or RT, such as pacemakers or severe cardiovascular disease(29).

  • Participants with a MoCA score of less than 26 will be excluded to ensure adequate cognitive ability to comprehend and follow the study protocol, including exercise and neuromuscular stimulation procedures (39).
  • Participants with any musculoskeletal issues will be excluded from this study(35).
  • Participants with neuromuscular disorders that may affect muscle strength or function(29).

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: Neuromuscular electrical stimulation

Prior to the initiation of resistance training, participants will receive 20 minutes of NMES targeting the gastrocnemius and calf muscles Frequency: 35 Hz Pulse duration: 300 µs

Following NMES, participants will undergo a 20-minute LIRT session comprising the following exercises:
Other: Neuromuscular electrical stimulation

Prior to the initiation of resistance training, participants will receive 20 minutes of NMES targeting the gastrocnemius and calf muscles Frequency: 35 Hz Pulse duration: 300 µs

Following NMES, participants will undergo a 20-minute LIRT session comprising the following exercises:
Active Comparator: conventinal
5minutes cool-down will be given after allocated interventions to participants of both groups. Gentle foot massage and stretching relaxation will be included in cool-down.
Other: lOW intensity resistance training

Seated Leg Press with Thera Band Resistance (Sole Support Position) Participants will be seated with a Thera Band looped around the soles of their feet and held in the hands to provide resistance during leg extension.

Repetitions: 10 Sets: 3 Rest Interval: 30-60 seconds between sets

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
Manual muscle testing (MMT) for strength measurement
Time Frame: baseline to 4 week
Muscle strength will be assessed using Manual Muscle Testing (MMT) of the plantar flexors and knee extensors based on the Medical Research Council (MRC) 0-5 grading scale. Each muscle group will be tested twice on the dominant side, and the higher grade will be recorded. Participants with grades ≤3 will be classified as having low muscle strength, while those with grades ≥4 will be considered to have sufficient strength for participation in low-intensity resistance training and neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES). MMT is a reliable and widely used clinical method for muscle strength assessment
baseline to 4 week

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.
Riphah International University

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: Sabiha Arshad, MS, Riphah International University

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.
May 17, 2026

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 6, 2026

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 6, 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).
June 8, 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.
June 8, 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.
June 12, 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.
June 12, 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.
June 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.
June 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.
  • REC/RCR&AHS/25/0217

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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