Effects of Home-based High-speed Bodyweight Resistance Training in Individual With Parkinson's Disease

May 21, 2026 updated by: Christina Danielli Coelho de Morais Faria, Federal University of Minas Gerais

Effects of Remotely Supervised Home-based High-speed Bodyweight Resistance Training on Bradykinesia in Individuals With Parkinson's Disease: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Exercises that involve increasing the speed of movements are beneficial for individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) and have the potential to reduce bradykinesia and improve mobility. High-speed bodyweight resistance training is a treatment that involves increasing speed considered accessible and viable as it can be performed at any time and place, including at home. This treatment has already shown benefits in the elderly individuals, however no studies were found in individuals with PD. Therefore, the primary aim of this study will be to investigate the effects of home-based and remotely supervised high-speed bodyweight resistance training in reducing bradykinesia in individuals with PD. The secondary aim will be to investigate the effects of home-based and remotely supervised high-speed bodyweight resistance training in improving mobility, muscle power, dynamic balance, and quality of life in this population. A randomized controlled trial will be carried out with concealed allocation, blinded assessments, and intention-to-treat analysis. Altogether, 46 individuals with PD (age ≥ 50 years old, who are bradykinetics and sedentary or insufficiently active will be included. Participants will be randomly assigned to either an experimental group (high-speed bodyweight resistance training) or a control group (bodyweight intervention, usual speed). Both groups will perform a home-based and remotely supervised intervention, consisting of 60-min individual sessions, three times per week over 12 weeks, with a trained physiotherapist. Primary outcomes is bradykinesia of the lower limbs. Secondary outcomes are mobility, muscle power, dynamic balance, and quality of life. The findings of this trial have the potential to provide important insights regarding the effects of high-speed bodyweight resistance training in reducing bradykinesia and improving mobility in individuals with PD. High-speed bodyweight resistance training does not use any type of external resistance and can be performed anywhere and at any time. In addition, it can be performed at home through telemonitoring, reducing time and costs of transport, making it quite feasible and accessible for individuals from different social and economic backgrounds which increases the feasibility of reproducing their findings in clinical practice.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

The sample size calculation was performed considering the primary outcome measures bradykinesia (assessed using items 3.8, 3.9, 3.10, and 3.14 of the motor examination of the MDS-UPDRS) based on data provided by previous similar randomized controlled trial. The effect size for bradykinesia was derived from a previous study. In that study, the groups showed a difference in means of -2.3 (treatment effect), using a standard deviation of 2.5, a significance level (α) of 5% and a power of 0.80, a sample size of 40 participants are required. Assuming a dropout rate of 15%, a total of 46 participants will be recruited (23 per group).

All statistical analyses will be performed by an independent examiner blinded to group allocation using the SPSS for Windows (SPSS, Chicago, IL, USA). Baseline characteristics will be summarized by treatment group using descriptive statistics. Means (standard deviation [SD]) or median (interquartile range [IQR]) will be used for continuous variables according to previous analysis of normality distribution (Shapiro-Wilk test). Frequency (percentage) will be used for categorical variables.

All analyses will follow the intention-to-treat principle, including all randomized participants in the groups to which they were originally allocated. The primary outcome will be bradykinesia of the lower limbs score with the primary endpoint defined as the post-intervention assessment at 12 weeks. Analytical approaches will be used to handle missing data, as recommended by Jakobsen et al. (2017). The specific procedure will depend on the proportion of missing data, as stated by Jakobsen et al. (2017). The statistical models will include a random intercept for participants and fixed effects for time (pre-intervention, post-intervention, and follow-up), group (intervention and control), and group-by-time interaction. The primary analysis will focus on the group-by-time interaction effect. The level of significance will be set at 5%. Effect estimates will be reported considering the confidence intervals (95% CI) for the between-group mean differences at each time point (week 12 minus week 0 and week 16 minus week 0). Secondary outcomes will be considered exploratory. Where applicable, adjustment for multiple comparisons will be performed using Bonferroni method.

Adverse events will be summarized descriptively by treatment group, including the number and proportion of participants experiencing at least one event, as well as the frequency and severity of events.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

46

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

  • Brazil
    • Minas Gerais
      • Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil, 31270-901
        • Federal University of Minas Gerais

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

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria

  • ≥50 years old;
  • Parkinson's disease diagnosed by a neurologista;
  • classified between stages 1-3 of the modified Hoehn & Yahr Scale;
  • present bradykinesia identified by items 3.8 (Leg Agility) and/or 3.14 (Global Spontaneity of Movement - Body Bradykinesia) of the motor examination of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS) with a minimum score of 1 out of 4 points in at least one of the items;
  • taking antiparkinsonian medication, and who have been medically stable
  • are classified as inactive or insufficiently active; have ability to walk independently without assistive devices; and have written medical permission to allow them to participate in the study. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention classification will be used to determine if an individual is inactive or insufficiently active. Participants will be asked about the exercises they performed most often over the last 4 weeks, including their frequency and duration. Individuals who report that they have performed physical exercise over the last month at least five times per week for more than 30 min at a moderate intensity or at least three times per week for at least 20 min at a vigorous intensity will be classified as having moderate or vigorous exercise levels, respectively. Individuals who report not having practiced any exercise over the last month will be classified as inactive. Those who report doing physical exercise over the last month that is not classified as vigorous or moderate intensity will be classified as insufficiently active.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • cognitive impairments as determined by cutoff scores (in points) of the Mini-Mental Status Examination according to education level reference;
  • any other neurological, musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, or respiratory disorders that could affect their ability to perform the tests;
  • used deep brain stimulation (DBS);
  • no access to the internet;
  • who do not have a caregiver or family member who can assist during the intervention sessions

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: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: High-speed bodyweight resistance training

The participants of the experimental group (high-speed bodyweight resistance training) will receive a home-based intervention that will include 5 minutes of warm-up (free active movements of trunk and lower limbs), followed by 50 min of exercises more targeted to the lower limb muscles, and by 5 minutes of cool-down (lower limb muscle stretching and relaxation breathing exercise).

The experimental intervention will be performed at maximum speed. During the initial home visit, the speed at which the participant can perform one set of each exercise at maximum speed will be timed. Speed-based progression will be determined every four weeks by increasing the number of repetitions in each set of exercises performed during subsequent home visits.
Other: High-speed bodyweight resistance training

The participants of the experimental group (high-speed bodyweight resistance training) will receive a home-based intervention that will include 5 minutes of warm-up (free active movements of trunk and lower limbs), followed by 50 min of exercises more targeted to the lower limb muscles, and by 5 minutes of cool-down (lower limb muscle stretching and relaxation breathing exercise).

The experimental intervention will be performed at maximum speed. During the initial home visit, the speed at which the participant can perform one set of each exercise at maximum speed will be timed. Speed-based progression will be determined every four weeks by increasing the number of repetitions in each set of exercises performed during subsequent home visits.
Sham Comparator: Control group (Bodyweight intervention, usual speed)

The participants of the control group (Bodyweight intervention, usual speed) will also receive a home-based intervention that will include 5 minutes of warm-up (free active movements of trunk and lower limbs), followed by 50 min of exercises more targeted to the lower limb muscles, and by 5 minutes of cool-down (lower limb muscle stretching and relaxation breathing exercise).

The control intervention will be performed at the usual speed. The same procedures that will be carried out to determine the maximum speed in the experimental group will be used to determine the usual speed in the control group. There will be no progression in the speed of performing the exercises. However, participants in the control group will also receive a home visit from the main researcher every four weeks to avoid bias related to the amount of attention given to participants in the experimental group.
Other: Control group (Bodyweight intervention, usual speed)

The participants of the control group (Bodyweight intervention, usual speed) will also receive a home-based intervention that will include 5 minutes of warm-up (free active movements of trunk and lower limbs), followed by 50 min of exercises more targeted to the lower limb muscles, and by 5 minutes of cool-down (lower limb muscle stretching and relaxation breathing exercise).

The control intervention will be performed at the usual speed. The same procedures that will be carried out to determine the maximum speed in the experimental group will be used to determine the usual speed in the control group. There will be no progression in the speed of performing the exercises. However, participants in the control group will also receive a home visit from the main researcher every four weeks to avoid bias related to the amount of attention given to participants in the experimental group.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change from baseline in Bradykinesia - Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale
Time Frame: At baseline, 12 weeks post-intervention, and at 4-week follow-up
Bradykinesia of the lower limbs will be measured using item 3.8 (Leg Agility), assessed bilaterally (right and left), and item 3.14 (Global Spontaneity of Movement - Body Bradykinesia) of the motor examination of the MDS-UPDRS. Each score ranges from 0 to 4, with 0 indicating normal function and 4 indicating severe impairment. The primary bradykinesia outcome will be calculated as the sum of the bilateral scores for item 3.8 and the score for item 3.14, resulting in a composite score ranging from 0 to 12. Higher scores indicate more severe bradykinesia.
At baseline, 12 weeks post-intervention, and at 4-week follow-up

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change from baseline in Mobility - 10-m walk test
Time Frame: At baseline, 12 weeks post-intervention, and at 4-week follow-up
Mobility will be measured using the 10-m walk test. Participants will be instructed to walk at both comfortable and maximal speeds in a 14-m hallway and the time taken to cover the central 10-m will be timed. A digital stopwatch will be used to measure three comfortable and maximal speeds measurements. The average of the three measurements will be used for analysis.
At baseline, 12 weeks post-intervention, and at 4-week follow-up
Change from baseline in Muscle power - Five Time Sit to Stand
Time Frame: At baseline, 12 weeks post-intervention, and at 4-week follow-up
Muscle power will be assessed using Five Time Sit to Stand. Participants will be instructed to perform five time sit to stand repetitions as rapidly as possible using a chair without armrests and with a standardized height. The time needed to complete the task will be recorded with a stopwatch. Only one repetition will be performed after one or two familiarization. Mean muscle power will be obtained by the product of mean velocity and mean force.
At baseline, 12 weeks post-intervention, and at 4-week follow-up
Change from baseline in Dynamic balance - Mini-Balance Evaluation System's Test
Time Frame: At baseline, 12 weeks post-intervention, and at 4-week follow-up
Dynamic balance will be assessed using Mini-Balance Evaluation System's Test. This test assesses changes in balance representing four domains of dynamic balance: anticipatory postural adjustments, postural responses, sensory orientation, and dynamic gait. The Mini-Balance Evaluation System's Test is composed of 14 items, and for each item, the scores range from 0 to 2. A higher score indicates better performance.
At baseline, 12 weeks post-intervention, and at 4-week follow-up
Change from baseline in Quality of life - Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire-39
Time Frame: At baseline, 12 weeks post-intervention, and at 4-week follow-up
Quality of life will be measured using Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire-39. The Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire-39 is composed of 39 items divided into eight dimensions: mobility, activities of daily living, emotional well-being, stigma, social support, cognition, communication, and bodily discomfort. The score for each item ranges from 0 to 4, and for each dimension varies from 0 to 100. A higher score indicates worse the individual's perception of quality of life.
At baseline, 12 weeks post-intervention, and at 4-week follow-up

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Federal University of Minas Gerais

Collaborators

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior.
Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico
Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do estado de Minas Gerais
Pró-reitoria de Pesquisa da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Christina CM Faria, Ph.D., Federal University of Minas Gerais

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

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 (Actual)

October 18, 2024

Primary Completion (Actual)

March 31, 2026

Study Completion (Actual)

March 31, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

October 11, 2024

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

October 15, 2024

First Posted (Actual)

October 17, 2024

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

May 26, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 21, 2026

Last Verified

May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • CAAE: 68350023.7.0000.5149

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

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.

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