Reflex Activity During Bone-Loading Exercises

April 14, 2025 updated by: Eser Kalaoglu

Bereitschafts (Readiness) Potential and Reflex Activity During Bone-Loading Exercises

Load-bearing exercises are well-established as beneficial for bone health. Their role in promoting healthy bone development and managing osteoporosis is widely recognized. However, the neural mechanisms underlying the positive biomechanical effects of jumping-based load-bearing exercises, such as running, volleyball, basketball, tennis, and skipping rope, remain unclear. The aim of this study is to investigate whether jumping-based load-bearing exercises activate bone myoregulation reflex activity.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Background and Objectives: Wolff was the first to propose that the microarchitectural structure and mechanical resistance of bone are remodeled in response to mechanical loads it experiences. Frost further expanded on this concept with the mechanostat theory, suggesting that bone formation and resorption remain in balance during routine daily activities. Decreased activity leads to increased bone resorption, while increased activity stimulates bone formation. Consequently, the microarchitectural structure and strength of bone weaken or strengthen accordingly. Recently, the bone reflex has been defined, suggesting that the central nervous system controls the local regulatory mechanisms described by Wolff and Frost. The bone reflex describes how osteocytes are stimulated by mechanical loading, leading to the neural regulation of bone formation and resorption according to mechanical needs (bone osteoregulation reflex). Additionally, it describes a mechanism by which the nervous system reflexively regulates the activity of surrounding muscles to optimally position the bone to resist applied mechanical load (bone myoregulation reflex).

Load-bearing exercises are well-established as beneficial for bone health, with their role in promoting healthy bone development and managing osteoporosis being widely recognized. However, the neural mechanisms underlying the positive biomechanical effects of jumping-based load-bearing exercises, such as running, volleyball, basketball, tennis, and rope skipping, remain unclear. The aim of this study is to investigate whether jumping-based load-bearing exercises activate bone myoregulation reflex activity.

Methods: The study will be conducted with a total of 40 healthy volunteers aged 20-50, comprising both women and men. Participants will be recruited from individuals who either regularly engage in jumping-based sports activities (e.g., volleyball, marathon running, and tennis) or those who perform typical daily living activities without regular sports engagement. Participants will be divided into two groups based on their activity levels: Group 1 (Normally Active Individuals) and Group 2 (Athletic Individuals).

Procedures:

Bone myoregulation reflex activity of the soleus and tibialis anterior muscles will be assessed in both groups during whole-body vibration and jumping using surface electromyography.

  • Jumping Test: Participants will be instructed to jump in place 20 times, similar to rope skipping, with a 5-second rest interval between each jump.
  • Whole-Body Vibration: Participants will stand on the plate and undergo low-amplitude (1.2 mm) whole-body vibration at eight different frequencies (25, 27, 29, 31, 33, 35, 37, and 39 Hz) using a Powerplate Pro5 (Netherlands) device. Each vibration session will last for 10 seconds, with a 5-second rest interval between frequencies.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

40

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

  • Turkey
      • Istanbul, Turkey, 31180
        • Istanbul Physical Medicine Rehabilitation Training and Research Hospital

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

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age: Between 20-50 years old
  • Gender: Male or female
  • Health status: Good general health
  • Physical activity: Normally Active Individuals or Regularly engaging in jumping sports activities such as volleyball, marathon, or tennis, or not engaging in such activities

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Individuals who cannot tolerate whole-body vibration
  • Individuals with a history of neuromuscular disease
  • Individuals with a history of skeletal disease

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: Basic Science
  • Allocation: Non-Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Group 1 (Normally Active Individuals)
Individuals with Normal Daily Activities
Other: Whole-body vibration and Jumping
The subjects were first asked to jump in place 20 times, as if they were jumping rope. Then, whole-body vibration was applied. While the participants stood upright on the whole-body vibration device, low-amplitude (1.2 mm) vibrations were applied at eight different frequencies (25, 27, 29, 31, 33, 35, 37, 39 Hz), each lasting for 10 seconds, with a 5-second rest period in between.
Other Names:
  • Loading exercise
Experimental: Group 2 (Athletic)
Participants who regularly engage in sports activities such as marathon running, basketball, or volleyball
Other: Whole-body vibration and Jumping
The subjects were first asked to jump in place 20 times, as if they were jumping rope. Then, whole-body vibration was applied. While the participants stood upright on the whole-body vibration device, low-amplitude (1.2 mm) vibrations were applied at eight different frequencies (25, 27, 29, 31, 33, 35, 37, 39 Hz), each lasting for 10 seconds, with a 5-second rest period in between.
Other Names:
  • Loading exercise

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Bone myoregulation reflex latency
Time Frame: Through study completion, an average of 8 weeks
The measurement will be taken as the time difference between the moment of mechanical stimulation and the onset of the reflex response in the EMG. The unit of measurement for latency is milliseconds.
Through study completion, an average of 8 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Bereitschafts (Readiness) Potential
Time Frame: Through study completion, an average of 8 weeks
It refers to the myoelectric activity in the tibialis anterior and soleus muscles just before jumping. The onset time of this myoelectric activity will be evaluated in milliseconds, and the amplitude of this activity will be measured in millivolts.
Through study completion, an average of 8 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Eser Kalaoglu

Investigators

  • Study Director: İlhan Karacan, Prof., Istanbul Physical Medicine Rehabilitation Training and Research Hospital
  • Principal Investigator: Eser Kalaoglu, M.D., Istanbul Physical Medicine Rehabilitation Training and Research Hospital

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)

December 1, 2024

Primary Completion (Actual)

January 1, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

January 15, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

November 19, 2024

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

November 27, 2024

First Posted (Actual)

December 2, 2024

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

April 16, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

April 14, 2025

Last Verified

November 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Other Study ID Numbers

  • IstPRMTRH-EK1

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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