Stair Climbing Exercise Versus Traditional Resistance Exercise

An Individualized Stair Climbing Program Versus Traditional Resistance Exercise: Effects on Strength, Power, Functional Performance and Cognition in Older Adults

Current evidence suggests resistance exercise as the primary therapeutic strategy to prevent age-related functional decline. The National Strength and Conditioning Association recently stated that a properly designed resistance exercise program should include power exercises performed at higher velocities in concentric movements with moderate intensities. We should be aware that not all older adults are easily motivated to train in unfamiliar gym-based settings with high subscription fees. Therefore, implementation of traditional gym-based resistance exercise at a large scale has been found to be difficult. Interestingly, we have previously shown that the use of high external loads, which implies the need for specific facility memberships, is not necessary to induce neuromuscular gains. This provides strong support for home-based training intervention strategies. Stair climbing or stepping-based exercise constitute a promising avenue to ameliorate the cost-effectiveness and implementation potential of resistance exercise in older adults. Such exercises can induce muscular activation levels similar to high-load resistance exercise and result in similar or even better gains in muscle mass, strength and power compared to slow-speed resistance exercise when properly designed. However, the (neuro)-muscular effects of stair climbing exercise have never been compared to the more optimal power-oriented resistance exercise, which is the primary aim of this study. The secondary aim of this study is to examine if stair climbing exercise also has beneficial effects on cognition.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Exercise Training
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Resistance Exercise intervention; Other: Functional stair climbing and stepping-based exercise intervention

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 46
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Belgium
  • Leuven, Belgium, 3001
    • Department of Movement Sciences

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 65 years to 80 years (Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

-

Exclusion Criteria:

• Unstable cardiovascular disease
• Neurological disorders
• Cognitive malfunctioning (MoCA < 24)
• Low level of physical function (SPPB < 7)
• Acute infections/fever
• Severe musculoskeletal problems
• Systematic engagement in (resistance) exercise in the 12 months prior to participation

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Resistance exercise; 12-week progressive power-oriented resistance exercise program on leg press machine	Other: Resistance Exercise intervention; 12-week progressive resistance exercise intervention
Experimental: Functional stair and stepping-based exercise; 12-week progressive functional weight-bearing stair and stepping-based exercise program	Other: Functional stair climbing and stepping-based exercise intervention; 12-week progressive stair climbing and stepping-based exercise intervention

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
F-V profile	Force-velocity profiling is carried out unilaterally (dominant leg) on the pneumatic leg press device (Leg Press CC, HUR, Kokkola, Finland). The test protocol consists of a maximal isometric test (knee joint angle = 85°, hip angle = 55°; 3 attempts of 3s), followed by explosive concentric leg extensions at gradually increasing loads (unloaded, 15%, 30%, 45%, 60%, 75% of the maximal isometric force, 2-3 attempts per load, and additional single repetitions until one-repetition maximum is reached). Mean velocity of the best trial per load is used to estimate the individual F-v relationship through a linear equation. This F-v relationship will be used to examine the exercise-induced adaptations. F0 (maximal force), v0 (maximal velocity), a (the equation's slope), Pmax (maximal power) and the corresponding v and F at Pmax are used for the analyses.	Change from baseline in F-v profile at 12 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Gait speed	The average speed to walk 10m as fast as possible (in m/s)	Change from baseline in gait speed at 12 weeks
5-repetition sit-to-stand time	The time (s) needed to perform 5 sit-to-stand transitions.	Change from baseline in sit-to-stand performance at 12 weeks
5-repetition sit-to-stand power	The power (watt) needed to perform 5 sit-to-stand transitions.	Change from baseline in sit-to-stand performance at 12 weeks
Stair ascent time	The time (s) needed to ascend a flight of stairs.	Change from baseline in stair climbing performance at 12 weeks.
Stair ascent power	The power (watt) needed to ascend a flight of stairs.	Change from baseline in stair climbing performance at 12 weeks.
Countermovement jump height	Jump height (cm) in a countermovement jump	Change from baseline in countermovement jump height at 12 weeks.
MoCA test score	Total score (min 0, max 30, higher scores indicate better performance) on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment test	Change from baseline in Montrial Cognitive Assessment test score at 12 weeks.
Digit Span Test score	Total score (min 0, max 30, higher scores indicate better performance) on the Digit Span Test	Change from baseline in Digit Span Test score at 12 weeks.
Trail Making Test Time	Total duration (s) needed to complete the Trail Making Test.	Change from baseline in Trail Making Test at 12 weeks.
Stroop Test number of words	Total number of words red in 45s in the stroop test.	Change from baseline in Stroop Test at 12 weeks.

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: KU Leuven

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): February 11, 2022
• Primary Completion (Actual): July 30, 2022
• Study Completion (Actual): July 30, 2022

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: February 11, 2022
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 21, 2022
• First Posted (Actual): March 2, 2022

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): January 23, 2023
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 20, 2023
• Last Verified: January 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: S66174

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No