Influence of Neuromuscular Fatigue Accumulated During Training on Subsequent Chronic Adaptations: PROTECT-10 (PROTECT-10)
A 13-week longitudinal experimental study designed to determine how the level of neuromuscular fatigue induced by strength training influences chronic adaptations. Four assessment periods (pre-protocol, mid-point 1, mid-point 2, and post-protocol) will be used to measure neuromuscular, physiological, and structural parameters. A reference group will be included to assess measurement variability across the evaluation phases (this group will only undergo these assessments), while an experimental group will follow a standardized training protocol (in addition to the assessment phases).
Study Overview
Status
Status
Conditions
Conditions
Intervention / Treatment
Intervention / Treatment
Detailed Description
Physical training is based on the dose-response principle, whereby the applied load determines the resulting adaptations. However, a higher dose does not consistently lead to greater gains (Hass et al., 2000; Mitchell et al., 2012), and the precise role of neuromuscular fatigue in chronic adaptations remains a subject of debate. Some studies suggest that fatigue-specifically peripheral fatigue, which directly reflects metabolic disturbances within the muscle-serves as a key stimulus for promoting neuromuscular adaptations (Rooney et al., 1994), while others have observed no significant effect (Folland et al., 2002). These discrepancies can be attributed to several factors: the lack of precise quantification of fatigue; the failure to distinguish between central and peripheral fatigue (the latter being a critical factor) (Hureau et al., 2022); and the failure to account for differences in fatigability between men and women (Hunter, 2016). Furthermore, recent research indicates that peripheral fatigue is regulated at an individual threshold by the tone of type III-IV muscle afferents, which modulate the central motor drive to limit the accumulation of fatigue (Amann et al., 2015; Hureau et al., 2016). Gaining a better understanding of how this threshold-along with its sensitivity and potential plasticity through training-influences the adaptive response is essential for optimizing exercise prescription, both for performance and for health.
Study Type
Study Type
Enrollment (Estimated)
Enrollment
Phase
Phase
- Not Applicable
Contacts and Locations
Study Locations
-
-
-
Strasbourg, France
- CEERIPE
-
-
Participation Criteria
Eligibility Criteria
Eligibility Criteria
Ages Eligible for Study
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
Genders Eligible for Study
Description
Inclusion Criteria:
- Man or woman between 18 and 45 years of age
- Active lifestyle (assessed via the GPAQ-2 questionnaire, with a minimum threshold defined as 600 MET-minutes per week)
- Capable of understanding the objectives and risks associated with the research and providing informed consent-dated and signed-in the judgment of the investigator
- Affiliated with a social security scheme
Exclusion Criteria:
- Known neurological, neuromuscular, cardiovascular, respiratory, or psychiatric condition
- Minors, adults under legal protection, or individuals unable to provide informed consent personally; high-level athletes or those undergoing strength-based training
- Pregnant or breastfeeding women
- Individuals in an emergency situation
Study Plan
How is the study designed?
Design Details
- Primary Purpose: Other
- Allocation: Non-Randomized
- Interventional Model: Sequential Assignment
- Masking: None (Open Label)
Number of Arms
Arms and Interventions
Participant Group / ArmParticipant Group / Arm |
Intervention / TreatmentIntervention / Treatment |
|---|---|
|
No Intervention: Reference
This group will undergo only the assessment periods, without participating in the training program. It will allow for the monitoring of variations related to the passage of time, the repetition of tests, and measurement variability. This group will thus serve as a reference, and its results will be compared with those of the experimental group in order to estimate the actual effects of the training and to distinguish between "responders" and "non-responders" (Padilla et al., 2020; Bossi & Mata, 2025). |
|
|
Experimental: experimental
This group will benefit from training sessions in addition to assessments. |
3 training periods, each consisting of two training sessions per week. |
What is the study measuring?
Primary Outcome Measures
Primary Outcome Measures
Outcome Measure |
Measure Description |
Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
|
maximal isometric strength
Time Frame: 3 weeks after the intervention
|
Determine the change in the maximal isometric strength of the right knee extensors following the entire training program. |
3 weeks after the intervention
|
Collaborators and Investigators
Sponsor
Sponsor
Study record dates
Study Major Dates
Study Start (Estimated)
Study Start
Primary Completion (Estimated)
Primary Completion
Study Completion (Estimated)
Study Completion
Study Registration Dates
First Submitted
First Submitted
First Submitted That Met QC Criteria
First Submitted That Met QC Criteria
First Posted (Actual)
First Posted
Study Record Updates
Last Update Posted (Actual)
Last Update Posted
Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria
Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria
Last Verified
Last Verified
More Information
Terms related to this study
Other Study ID Numbers
Other Study ID Numbers
- 2026-008
- 2026-A01333-48 (Registry Identifier: ID-RCB (French national number))
Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)
Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?
Drug and device information, study documents
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product
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