Lower-Limb Muscle Mass and Balance Performance (LMBP)

June 4, 2026 updated by: Ramiz ARABACI, Uludag University

INTERACTION BETWEEN MUSCLE MASS AND BALANCE PERFORMANCE: A LOWER-LIMB-FOCUSED ANALYSIS

This study will examine the interaction between lower-limb muscle mass and balance performance in moderately physically active young men. Body composition parameters, including appendicular skeletal muscle mass, leg muscle mass, and the ratio of lower-limb muscle mass to body weight (LMM/BW), will be assessed using bioelectrical impedance analysis. Balance performance will be evaluated using a center-of-pressure-based static balance test, with classifications derived from sway path length and sway area parameters.

Participants will be grouped according to balance performance metrics, and muscle mass indicators will be compared between balance-based groups. Correlation analyses will also be conducted to explore associations between muscle mass variables and balance outcomes across the entire sample. It is anticipated that normalized muscle mass indicators, particularly LMM/BW, will demonstrate greater discriminative sensitivity than absolute muscle mass measures in relation to balance performance. The findings are expected to contribute to a more precise understanding of how relative lower-limb muscular capacity relates to postural control in young, physically active populations.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Detailed Description

This study will employ a cross-sectional observational design to investigate the relationship between lower-limb muscle mass and balance performance in moderately physically active young men. The primary focus will be to determine whether normalized muscle mass indicators, particularly the ratio of lower-limb muscle mass to body weight (LMM/BW), demonstrate greater sensitivity in explaining balance-performance differences than absolute muscle mass measures.

A cohort of healthy male participants aged 20-30 years will be recruited. All participants will be moderately physically active and free from musculoskeletal injuries, neurological disorders, or medical conditions that could affect balance performance. After providing written informed consent, participants will undergo standardized anthropometric and body composition assessments using bioelectrical impedance analysis to obtain appendicular skeletal muscle mass, leg muscle mass, total muscle mass, body fat percentage, and LMM/BW.

Balance performance will be evaluated using a center-of-pressure-based static balance test performed on a stabilometric platform. Participants will complete a 30-second quiet standing task, during which sway path length and sway area will be recorded as primary balance outcomes. These parameters will be used to classify participants into balance-performance-based groups in order to examine the discriminative capacity of different balance metrics with respect to muscle mass variables.

Between-group comparisons of muscle mass indicators will be conducted to identify differences associated with balance performance classifications. In addition, correlation analyses will be performed across the entire sample to assess the strength and direction of associations between muscle mass variables and balance outcomes. Effect size estimates will be calculated to support the interpretation of observed differences.

The study is expected to clarify whether relative lower-limb muscular capacity provides a more functionally meaningful explanation of balance performance than absolute muscle mass in young, physically active populations. The findings may contribute to improved methodological approaches in balance assessment and support the use of normalized muscle mass indicators in sports science, exercise physiology, and preventive health contexts.

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Actual)

150

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 (Türkiye)
      • Eskişehir, Turkey (Türkiye)
        • Aeromedical Research And Training Center (ARTC)

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

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Eskisehir, TURKEY

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

Inclusion criteria required that participants (i) were between 20 and 30 years of age; (ii) had no lower-limb injuries that could affect test performance; (iii) were moderately physically active; and (iv) had not used ergogenic aids or stimulant substances for at least six months prior to the study.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Exclusion criteria included the presence of back, neck, leg, foot, or upper-limb pain within the previous six months, as well as a history of major orthopedic surgery involving the lower extremities or trunk.

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

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Lower Balance Performance Group (LBP)
This cohort will include moderately physically active young men who exhibit higher sway path length values during a 30-second center-of-pressure-based static balance test, indicating lower balance performance. Participants in this group will have no musculoskeletal, neurological, or medical conditions affecting postural control. This cohort will be used to examine muscle mass characteristics associated with relatively poorer balance performance.
Higher Balance Performance Group (HBP)
This cohort will include moderately physically active young men who exhibit lower sway path length values during a 30-second center-of-pressure-based static balance test, indicating higher balance performance. Participants in this group will be free from conditions that may influence balance outcomes. This cohort will be used to evaluate muscle mass characteristics associated with relatively better balance performance.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Balance performance assessed by center-of-pressure sway path length
Time Frame: Day 1 (Assessed during a single laboratory testing session)
Balance performance will be quantified using center-of-pressure sway path length recorded during a 30-second quiet standing test on a stabilometric platform. Sway path length will represent the total displacement of the center of pressure over the trial duration, with higher values indicating poorer balance performance. This measure will serve as the primary balance outcome for group classification and for association analyses with lower-limb muscle mass indicators.
Day 1 (Assessed during a single laboratory testing session)

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Uludag University

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)

February 26, 2026

Primary Completion (Actual)

May 30, 2026

Study Completion (Actual)

June 3, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

January 16, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 23, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

January 26, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

June 8, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 4, 2026

Last Verified

February 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Other Study ID Numbers

  • E-87914409-050.04-117156

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

This study will use a cross-sectional observational design to examine the relationship between lower-limb muscle mass and balance performance in moderately physically active young men. Participants will complete standardized body composition assessments and a center-of-pressure-based static balance test during a single laboratory visit. Based on sway path length values, participants will be classified into lower and higher balance performance groups.

Comparisons of muscle mass indicators, including absolute and normalized measures, will be conducted between balance-performance-based groups. In addition, associations between muscle mass variables and balance outcomes will be analyzed across the full sample to evaluate the relative explanatory value of different muscle mass indicators. The study plan is intended to determine whether normalized lower-limb muscle mass measures provide greater sensitivity for explaining balance performance differences than absolute muscle mass measures.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

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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