Influence of Neuromuscular Fatigue Accumulated During Training on Subsequent Chronic Adaptations: PROTECT-10 (PROTECT-10)

November 5, 2026 updated by: Centre Paul Strauss

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

Not yet recruiting

Conditions

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

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

58

Phase

  • 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

      • Strasbourg, France
        • CEERIPE

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

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 45 years (Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Genders Eligible for Study

All

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

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: Other
  • Allocation: Non-Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Sequential Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / 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

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

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

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 (Estimated)

November 3, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

May 3, 2028

Study Completion (Estimated)

May 3, 2028

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

November 5, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

November 5, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

November 10, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

November 10, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

November 5, 2026

Last Verified

November 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

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)?

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.