The Anabolic and Catabolic Effect of Loaded and Unloaded Exercise on Articular Cartilage Health

A Preliminary Study on the Effect of Loaded and Unloaded Exercise on Anabolic and Turnover Activity of Articular Cartilage in Healthy Young Adults

The serum concentration of cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (sCOMP) has been considered a mechano-sensitive biomarker of articular cartilage turnover, and N-propeptide of type II collagen (PIIANP) is a proposed biomarker of type II collagen synthesis. Few studies have investigated both the anabolic and turnover response of articular cartilage as a result of acute changes in body weight mass during exercise. Using a repeated measures cross-over design, fifteen healthy adults (age 18-30 years) performed three, 30-minute bouts of treadmill walking exercise under 3 loading conditions: (1) control (no alteration to body mass); (2) loaded (12% increase in body mass using a weighted vest); and (3) unloaded (12% decrease in body mass using lower body positive pressure). Venous blood was collected before, immediately after, and 15 and 30 minutes after exercise to investigate cartilage turnover (sCOMP) and anabolism (PIIANP).

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Healthy
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Control Condition; Other: +12% Body Mass; Other: -12% Body Mass

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 15
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Canada
  • Manitoba
    • Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, R3T 2N2
      • University of Manitoba

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Healthy
• 18-30 years old

Exclusion Criteria:

• Traumatic injury to the lower extremity in the past year
• Hip, knee, or ankle surgery
• Radiographic evidence of joint degeneration
• Cardiovascular disease
• Ankylosing spondylitis
• Psoriatic arthritis
• Chronic reactive arthritis
• Renal problems requiring peritoneal dialysis or hemodialysis
• Not currently using any prescription or non-prescription medications and/or nutritional supplements

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

3

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Control; The control condition did 30 minutes of walking exercise with their own body mass.	Other: Control Condition; Control (no alteration to body mass).
Experimental: +12% Body Mass; The +12% body mass condition did 30 minutes of walking exercise wearing a weighted vest with +12% of their body mass applied.	Other: +12% Body Mass; Loaded walking exercise (12% increase in body mass using a weighted vest).
Experimental: -12% Body Mass; The -12% body mass condition did 30 minutes of walking exercise using a lower body positive pressure treadmill with -12% of their body mass applied.	Other: -12% Body Mass; Unloaded walking exercise (12% decrease in body mass using lower body positive pressure).

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Serum cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (sCOMP)	The systemic blood serum concentration of sCOMP was evaluated in all participants under the 3 conditions in a crossover trial.	sCOMP was measured at baseline, immediately post, and 15- and 30-minutes post exercise.
N-propeptide of type II collagen (PIIANP)	The systemic blood serum concentration of PIIANP was evaluated in all participants under the 3 conditions in a crossover trial.	PIIANP was measured at baseline, immediately post, and 15- and 30-minutes post exercise.

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Manitoba
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Stephen M Cornish, PhD, University of Manitoba

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): September 27, 2019
• Primary Completion (Actual): March 1, 2020
• Study Completion (Actual): March 1, 2020

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: June 21, 2023
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 21, 2023
• First Posted (Actual): June 29, 2023

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): July 3, 2023
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 28, 2023
• Last Verified: June 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: walking exercise; articular cartilage; sCOMP; PIIANP
• Other Study ID Numbers: HS22322

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO
• IPD Plan Description: The data will not be available to other researchers as we do not have ethical approval to do so.

Drug and device information, study documents

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