Difference in Central Fatigue During Two Ultra-endurance Practices: Running vs. Cycling (FAT-CENTR)

The mechanisms contributing to muscle fatigue in extreme long-duration exercise bouts are poorly understood. Ultra-endurance exercise is an excellent model for the study of adaptive responses to extreme loads and stress and it is an especially useful model for documenting the origins of central fatigue. This protocol will compare fatigue during and after ultra-endurance exercise bouts that result in moderate lower-limb tissue damage (i.e. cycling) or significant damage (i.e. running). The results of this protocol will allow us to further understanding of the reasons for major central fatigue, i.e. within the central nervous system, in ultra-endurance.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Ultra-marathon Runners
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: maximum effort test on a treadmill; Other: maximum effort test on a cycloergometer

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 19
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• France
  • Saint-Étienne, France, 42000
    • Chu Saint-Etienne

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: Male

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Specialist in endurance and ultra-endurance. in the 2 disciplines: running and cycling (triathletes, duathletes or trailers achieving at least 30% of their training volume in cycling), and having at least finished one long distance event in the last 2 years,
• Affiliated or beneficiary of a social security scheme.
• Signature of the consent form

Exclusion Criteria:

• Any subject who has been injured in the 3 months prior to the protocol
• Anyone with chronic joint pathologies (e.g.: repetitive sprains, patellar or ligament problems).
• Any subject with chronic or central neurological pathologies
• Any subject with a contraindication to magnetic stimulation
• Use of neuro-active substances likely to alter cortico-spinal excitability (hypnotics, antiepileptics, psychotropic drugs, muscle relaxants) on the study.

• Contraindication to the application of a magnetic field:

  • Heart or respiratory insufficiency.
  • Subject with a cardiac pace maker.
  • Cardiac valve wear and serious cardiovascular diseases.
  • Presence of prosthetic material or ferromagnetic foreign bodies in the head.
  • Presence of cochlear implants or ocular prosthetic material.
  • History of neurosurgical interventions.
  • Neurological diseases that may affect brain structures and cognitive abilities (e.g., intracranial tumour, multiple sclerosis, history of stroke or traumatic brain injury).
  • History of comitiality, contralateral knee disease or musculoskeletal disease.
• Any subject participating at the same time in another interventional experiment requiring physical exercise.
• Any subject who has taken corticosteroids within 3 months (inhalation, infiltration or history of prolonged corticosteroid therapy).
• Any subject under guardianship or curatorship

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: Running endurance; Athletes wiil run for 5 hours in a row.	Other: maximum effort test on a treadmill; 5 h test on treadmill
Experimental: Cycling endurance; Athletes wiil cycle for 5 hours in a row.	Other: maximum effort test on a cycloergometer; 5 h test on cycloergometer

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Maximum level of voluntary activation of relative central fatigue	measured in isometric mode of the knee extensors, between the value before and immediately after a 5-hour cycling or running event at the same relative intensity	Before and immediately after 5h exercise

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Maximum level of voluntary activation of fatigue centrale absolute	measured in isometric mode of the knee extensors, between the value before the 5h cycling or running and the value after absolute exhaustion	Before and immediately after 5h exercise
Maximum level of voluntary activation with electrical evoked activation	tests with measurement of the maximum voluntary with evoked electrical between the value before and immediately after a 5-hour cycling or running event at the same relative intensity	Before and immediately after 5h exercise
Spinal excitability	thoracic spine stimulation for the recording of thoracic motor evoked potentials	Before and immediately after 5h exercise
Corticospinal excitability	stimulation of the motor cortex for recording motor evoked potentials	Before and immediately after 5h exercise
Cortical excitability	ratio between stimulation of the motor cortex and thoracic spine stimulation	Before and immediately after 5h exercise
Measurement of isometric force values	subjects sitting on a Cybex type seat, with the knee and hip angle set at 90°. The foot will be attached to a strain-gauge sensor using a velcro strap attached to the ankle above the medial malleolus.	Before and immediately after 5h exercise
Measurement of speed, force and power values	assessment of fatigue in dynamic mode (calculation of the force/speed profile)	Before and immediately after 5h exercise
Red blood cells	blood sample	Before and immediately after 5h exercise
Platelets	blood sample	Before and immediately after 5h exercise
White blood cells	blood sample	Before and immediately after 5h exercise
Hemoglobin	blood sample	Before and immediately after 5h exercise
Mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration	blood sample	Before and immediately after 5h exercise
C-reactive protein	blood sample	Before and immediately after 5h exercise
Creatine PhosphoKinase	blood sample	Before and immediately after 5h exercise
Interleukines	blood sample	Before and immediately after 5h exercise
Lactate	blood sample	Before and immediately after 5h exercise
Measurement of the time maintained at the speed corresponding to the 2nd ventilatory threshold	On treadmill	Before and immediately after 5h exercise
measurement of the time maintained at the power corresponding to the 2nd ventilatory threshold	On Cycloergometer	Before and immediately after 5h exercise

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Saint Etienne
• Investigators: Study Director: Guillaume MILLET, PhD, Saint-Etienne University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): March 5, 2021
• Primary Completion (Actual): May 28, 2021
• Study Completion (Actual): July 15, 2021

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: July 31, 2020
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 11, 2020
• First Posted (Actual): August 13, 2020

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): November 24, 2021
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 23, 2021
• Last Verified: November 1, 2021

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: corticospinal excitability; central fatigue; peripheral fatigue; ultra-endurance exercise
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Fatigue
• Other Study ID Numbers: 19CH217; 2020-A01714-35 (Other Identifier: ANSM)

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