Stable Versus Unstable Resistance Training Effects on Physical Fitness and Physiological Biomarkers of Untrained Male University Students

Comparative Effects of Stable Versus Unstable Resistance Training on Lipid Profile Selected Physical Fitness and Renal Biomarkers of Untrained Male University Students

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn the effects of stable and unstable resistance training on physical fitness, kidney function and blood lipid tests in healthy young male volunteers. The main questions it aims to answer are:

• Do both stable and unstable resistance training increase the level of urinary protein clearance greater than the control group?
• What is the difference in improvement of lipid profiles among the groups?
• Does unstable resistance training mode rise muscular endurance greater than stable resistance training?

Researchers will compare stable and unstable resistance training to see if there are differences on physical fitness measures, blood lipid and urinary protein tests.

Participants, in their respective group will receive ten weeks of:

• Stable resistance training
• Unstable resistance training or
• No exercise training intervention

Study Overview

• Status: Active, not recruiting
• Conditions: No Condition; Health Young Males
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: resistance training; Other: resistance training

Detailed Description

This study included volunteer male untrained students living at Kotebe University of Education. Priori statistical power analysis (G*Power version 3.1.9.2, Stuttgart, Germany) was used to estimate the sample size. Based on earlier research, a moderate to high effect size (0.295) was assumed, and considering a dropout probability of 10%, a sample of 54 participants was enough to meet adequate statistical power. All participants provided written informed consent to participate in this study. The training protocol will include ten resistance exercises for each intervention, performed three times a week for 10 weeks. Each session lasts 60 minutes, including a 10 to 15-minute warm-up, a 40-minute main exercise targeting core, upper, and lower limb muscles, and a 5 to 10-minute cool-down and stretching. The protocol will adhere to basic training principles like overload, progression, and specificity. The training will take place in the university gymnasium. The study will be conducted in accordance with local legislation and institutional requirements. It will be strictly governed by the ethical principles of the Declaration of Helsinki.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 54
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Ethiopia
  • Yeka Sub City
    • Addis Ababa, Yeka Sub City, Ethiopia
      • Kotebe University of Education

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

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

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• No resistance training within the previous six months
• Completing a written informed consent document
• Responding to the physical activity readiness questionnaire (PAR-Q) and becoming convenient

Exclusion Criteria:

• A history of musculoskeletal injury
• Chronic diseases, including known kidney disease
• A habit of alcohol or drug abuse

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

3

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Unstable resistance training group; Receiving total body resistance exercise (TRX) training intervention	Other: resistance training; stable resistance training is represented by traditional resistance training using equipment like medicine ball, resistance machine and own body mass; Other: resistance training; TRX based resistance training for the upper, lower and abdominal region muscles
No Intervention: Control group; no any structured exercise training intervention
Experimental: stable resistance training group; receiving traditional resistance training intervention	Other: resistance training; stable resistance training is represented by traditional resistance training using equipment like medicine ball, resistance machine and own body mass; Other: resistance training; TRX based resistance training for the upper, lower and abdominal region muscles

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Urinary Albumin	It will be measured using random urine samples in milligrams per liter; The minimum value is 0, the maximum is 20; A higher score means a worse outcome	At baseline and after 10 weeks of resistance training interventions
Urinary Creatinine	It will be measured using random urine samples in millimoles per liter; The minimum value is 3, the maximum is 25.; A higher score means a better outcome	At baseline and after 10 weeks of training intervention
Urinary albumin to creatinine ratio	Urinary albumin to creatinine ratio is computed by dividing the obtained urinary albumin by urinary creatinine; It is measured in milligrams per millimole; The minimum value is 0, the maximum is 3; A high score means a worse outcome	At baseline and after 10 weeks of resistance training interventions
Serum Creatinine	It is measured using a fasting blood sample in micromoles per liter; The minimum value is 50, the maximum is 110; A higher score means a worse outcome	At baseline and after 10 weeks of resistance training intervention
Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate	Estimated glomerular filtration rate is computed using a serum creatinine-based equation; The scores are reported in milliliters per minute per 1.73 square meters; The minimum value is 90, the maximum is 130; A higher score means a better renal function	At baseline and after 10 weeks of resistance training interventions
High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol	It is measured using a fasting blood sample tests in millimoles per liter; The minimum value is 1, the maximum is greater than or equal to 2; A higher score means a protective and better outcome	At baseline and after 10 weeks of resistance training
Low-Density Llipoprotein Cholesterol	It is measured using a fasting blood sample in millimoles per liter; The minimum value is 0, the maximum is 2.6; A higher score means a worse outcome	At baseline and after 10 weeks of resistance training
Total Cholesterol	It is measured using a fasting blood sample test in millimoles per liter; The minimum score is 0, the maximum is 5.2; A higher score means a worse outcome	At baseline and after 10 weeks of resistance training
Triglycerides	Triglycerides are measured using a fasting blood sample test in millimoles per liter; The minimum value is 0, the maximum is 1.7; A higher score means a worse outcome	At baseline and after 10 weeks of resistance training
Hand Grip Strength	Hand grip strength test will be used to measure muscular strength; It is measured in kilograms; The minimum value is 27, the maximum is 56; A higher score means a better outcome	At baseline and after 10 weeks of training intervention
Muscular Endurance	Push-up and sit-up tests will be used to measure muscular endurance; The number of repetitions is a unit for both tests; The minimum score for push-up is 20, the maximum is 40; The minimum value for sit-up is 25, the maximum is 45; A higher score means a better outcome	At baseline and after 10 weeks of training intervention
Core Endurance	The McGill core endurance test will be conducted and reported in seconds; The minimum value is 45, the maximum is 120; A higher score means a better outcome	At baseline and after 10 weeks of training intervention
Flexibility	Sit and reach test will be conducted and reported in centimeters; The minimum value is 20, and the maximum is 35; A higher score means a better outcome	At baseline and after 10 weeks of training intervention
Body Fat Percentage	It will be estimated using 3 site skin fold measures in millimeters; Body density will be calculated by the Jackson & Pollock equation; The obtained density is converted into body fat percentage using the Sir equation; The minimum value is 10, the maximum is 22; A higher score means aworse outcome	At baseline and after 10 weeks of training intervention

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Addis Ababa University
• Investigators: Study Chair: Aschenaki T Tessema, Ph.D., Addis Ababa University; Principal Investigator: Cherinet Z Zemela, MSc, Kotebe University of Education; Study Chair: Zeru B Tola, Ph.D., Addis Ababa University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): November 12, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): February 1, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): February 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: December 30, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 11, 2026
• First Posted (Estimated): January 16, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimated): January 16, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 11, 2026
• Last Verified: December 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: muscle; body composition; eGFR; lipid profile; muscular strength; urinary albumin to creatinine ratio; TRX
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Motor Activity; Movement; Musculoskeletal Physiological Phenomena; Musculoskeletal and Neural Physiological Phenomena; Therapeutics; Physical Therapy Modalities; Patient Care; Exercise Therapy; Rehabilitation; Aftercare; Continuity of Patient Care; Physical Conditioning, Human; Exercise; Resistance Training
• Other Study ID Numbers: CNS-IRB/05/2015/2023

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: YES
• IPD Plan Description: After publication on journals, I will share all individual participant data that underlie results in a publication
• IPD Sharing Time Frame: beginning one year after publication and ending 2 years after the publication
• IPD Sharing Access Criteria: data will be shared with reasonable request from any researcher who brings proposed analysis.
• IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type: STUDY_PROTOCOL; SAP; ICF

Drug and device information, study documents

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