Effects of a Suspension Training Warm-up on Cardiopulmonary Exercise Performance

Effects of a Suspension Training Warm-up on Cardiopulmonary Exercise Performance in Recreationally Active College-Aged Adults: a Randomized, Counterbalanced Crossover Study

this study will compare two warm-up methods before cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) in recreationally active young adults. Participants will complete treadmill walking or TRX suspension warm-up, followed by a treadmill exercise test to exhaustion. The investigators to determine whether suspension warm-up produces similar peak oxygen uptake (VO2max) and cardiopulmonary responses as treadmill walking.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Exercise Performance
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Walking Warm-up; Other: Suspension Training Warm-up

Detailed Description

CPET is the gold standard for assessing aerobic fitness. Warm-up procedures may influence outcomes. Traditional CPET warm-up uses walking or cycling, but suspension training provides a dynamic, full-body option. This randomized, counterbalanced crossover study will compare VO₂max and secondary outcomes (time to exhaustion, HRmax, RER, VE, BP, VT) after treadmill vs suspension training warm-up. The primary analysis is a non-inferiority test with a 5% margin for VO₂max.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 17
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • New Jersey
    • West Long Branch, New Jersey, United States, 07764
      • Monmouth University Graduate Center Room 222

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

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

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

Aged 19 to 25 years

Engages in ≥5 hours per week of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (classified as "high activity" based on the International Physical Activity Questionnaire [ICIQ])

Able to pass the Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PAR-Q+) screening

Exclusion Criteria:

Participates in <5 hours per week of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity

Contraindications to maximal cardiopulmonary exercise testing or suspension training

Presence of any medical condition that may interfere with safe test participation or data interpretation

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Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Other
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Arm 1: Walking Warm-up (WW); 6 min treadmill walking at comfortable pace, 0% incline.	Other: Walking Warm-up; 6 minutes treadmill walking at comfortable self-selected pace, 0% incline.
Experimental: Suspension Warm-up (SW); 6 min dynamic TRX warm-up (reverse lunges, squats, jump squats, rows, push-ups).	Other: Suspension Training Warm-up; 6 minutes TRX suspension warm-up (reverse lunges 45s, squats 60s, jump squats 45s, rows 30s, push-ups 30s, with 30s rests).

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
VO₂peak (mL·kg-¹·min-¹)	VO₂peak measured during cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) following each warm-up condition.	Immediately following each warm-up condition during two laboratory visits, separated by at least 48 hours

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Tamara Rial-Faigenabum

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): October 15, 2025
• Primary Completion (Actual): June 6, 2026
• Study Completion (Actual): June 6, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: October 8, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: October 8, 2025
• First Posted (Actual): October 10, 2025

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): June 9, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 6, 2026
• Last Verified: October 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: cardiorespiratory fitness; exercise physiology
• Other Study ID Numbers: SP2553

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO
• IPD Plan Description: The individual participant data (IPD) will not be made publicly available because this is a small, single-site academic study conducted for exploratory purposes, and data sharing is not required by the sponsor or funding agency. Summary results will be posted on ClinicalTrials.gov and may be included in peer-reviewed publications.

Drug and device information, study documents

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