Investigating the Role of Resistance Exercise Frequency in the Regulation of Skeletal Muscle Mass (EXFREQ)

This study will investigate whether manipulating resistance exercise frequency impacts muscle protein synthesis rates. The investigators will test the hypothesise that a higher resistance exercise frequency will result in greater muscle protein synthesis rates than a lower resistance exercise frequency.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Physical Activity
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Low Frequency Condition; Behavioral: High Frequency Condition

Detailed Description

Resistance exercise is currently the most effective means of building or maintaining muscle mass. Resistance exercise guidelines generally suggest that those looking to increase muscle mass should train each muscle group once to twice per week. However, it has been proposed that it may be of greater benefit to train a muscle group with a higher frequency (i.e., four to six times per week) than currently suggested. If true, completing the same total volume of resistance exercise in more frequent, smaller bouts could prove to be a more beneficial strategy to optimally build or maintain muscle mass.

Therefore, this study will investigate whether manipulating resistance exercise frequency impacts cumulative muscle protein synthesis rates in young individuals. Participants will undergo a 7 day period of habitual activity before completing the same total volume of resistance exercise as either; i) one isolated bout (low frequency) or ii) five smaller bouts (high frequency) over a period of 7 days.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 9
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United Kingdom
  • West Midlands
    • Birmingham, West Midlands, United Kingdom, B15 2TT
      • School of Sport Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Birmingham

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 35 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: Male

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Body mass index (18.5-29.99 kg/m2)
• Untrained - defined as: Perform activities of daily living and recreation but have completed no regular lower body resistance-type exercise (e.g., weight training) activity in the last year.
• Good general health

Exclusion Criteria:

• Lidocaine allergy
• Hypertension (≥140/90 mmHg)
• Current participation in another clinical study
• Previous participation in this study
• Bleeding disorder/s
• Current or recent smoker
• Vegetarian or vegan
• Past history of substance abuse and/or taking prescription or non-prescription medication (e.g., beta-blockers, insulin or thyroxine) or supplements that may influence normal metabolic responses.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Basic Science
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Low Frequency Condition; Participants complete 7 days of habitual physical activity followed by a 7 day period where participants complete a single bout of unilateral resistance exercise.	Behavioral: Low Frequency Condition; Young, untrained participants complete 7 days of habitual physical activity followed by a 7 day period where participants complete a single bout of unilateral resistance exercise.
Experimental: High Frequency Condition; Participants complete 7 days of habitual physical activity followed by a 7 day period where participants complete the same total volume of resistance exercise as the low frequency condition as five smaller bouts of unilateral resistance exercise.	Behavioral: High Frequency Condition; Young, untrained participants complete 7 days of habitual physical activity followed by a 7 day period where participants complete the same total volume of resistance exercise as the low frequency condition as five smaller bouts of unilateral resistance exercise.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in muscle protein synthesis (FSR %/day)	The change in muscle protein synthesis rates (FSR %/day) from baseline will be determined between the low and high frequency conditions at days 10 and 15 using deuterium oxide (D2O).	At day 10 and 15.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in satellite cell response	The change in acute satellite cell response will be determined in muscle samples following low and high frequency resistance exercise at days 10 and 15.	At day 10 and 15.

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Birmingham
• Collaborators: Maastricht University
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Gareth Wallis, PhD, University of Birmingham

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): January 1, 2018
• Primary Completion (Actual): December 1, 2018
• Study Completion (Actual): December 1, 2018

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: August 31, 2017
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 5, 2017
• First Posted (Actual): September 8, 2017

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): January 5, 2023
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 3, 2023
• Last Verified: December 1, 2022

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: ERN_17-0997

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