Combined Effects of NMES and LIRT on Muscle Strength, Girth, and Physical Endurance in the Geriatric Population

June 8, 2026 updated by: Riphah International University

Combined Effects of Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation and Low-intensity Resistance Training on Muscle Strength, Girth, and Physical Endurance in Geriatric Population

This study will employ a randomized controlled trial design with a pre-post design to investigate the combined effects of Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation (NMES) and Low-Intensity Resistance Training (LIRT) on muscle strength, muscle girth, and physical endurance in the geriatric population. Participants will be randomly assigned to either an intervention group or a control group.

Study Overview

Status

Recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

  • Informed Consent: Obtain informed consent from participants before starting the study.

    2. Demographic Data Collection: Collect demographic data, including age, sex, height, weight, and medical history.

    3. Muscle Strength Assessment: Measure muscle strength using a dynamometer (e.g., handgrip strength or knee extension strength).

    4. Muscle Girth Measurement: Measure muscle girth using a flexible measuring tape (e.g., mid-upper arm or thigh circumference).

    5. 6-Minute Walk Test (6MWT): Conduct the 6MWT to assess physical endurance. Intervention

    1. NMES Sessions: Administer NMES sessions 2-3 times a week for 4-5 weeks.
    2. LIRT Sessions: Conduct LIRT exercises 2-3 times a week for 4-5weeks, targeting major muscle groups of upper and lower limb.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

44

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 Contact

Study Locations

  • Pakistan
    • Punjab Province
      • Lahore, Punjab Province, Pakistan, 54000
        • Recruiting

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

  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:• Age: 65 to 85 (35)

  • Both male and female will be added(29)
  • Patients with low calf muscle mass <31.5 cm for females and <33.5 cm for males will be included in this study(36).
  • Participants able to complete the Five Times Sit-to-Stand Test in ≤ 10 seconds (men) or ≤ 11 seconds (women)(37).
  • Participants must have ability to walk independently and absence of severe medical conditions(29).
  • Participants who takes > 12 seconds to complete TUG will be included in this study(38

Exclusion Criteria:• Participants with contraindications to NMES or RT, such as pacemakers or severe cardiovascular disease(29).

  • Participants with a MoCA score of less than 26 will be excluded to ensure adequate cognitive ability to comprehend and follow the study protocol, including exercise and neuromuscular stimulation procedures (39).
  • Participants with any musculoskeletal issues will be excluded from this study(35).
  • Participants with neuromuscular disorders that may affect muscle strength or function(29).

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: Neuromuscular electrical stimulation

Prior to the initiation of resistance training, participants will receive 20 minutes of NMES targeting the gastrocnemius and calf muscles Frequency: 35 Hz Pulse duration: 300 µs

Following NMES, participants will undergo a 20-minute LIRT session comprising the following exercises:
Other: Neuromuscular electrical stimulation

Prior to the initiation of resistance training, participants will receive 20 minutes of NMES targeting the gastrocnemius and calf muscles Frequency: 35 Hz Pulse duration: 300 µs

Following NMES, participants will undergo a 20-minute LIRT session comprising the following exercises:
Active Comparator: conventinal
5minutes cool-down will be given after allocated interventions to participants of both groups. Gentle foot massage and stretching relaxation will be included in cool-down.
Other: lOW intensity resistance training

Seated Leg Press with Thera Band Resistance (Sole Support Position) Participants will be seated with a Thera Band looped around the soles of their feet and held in the hands to provide resistance during leg extension.

Repetitions: 10 Sets: 3 Rest Interval: 30-60 seconds between sets

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Manual muscle testing (MMT) for strength measurement
Time Frame: baseline to 4 week
Muscle strength will be assessed using Manual Muscle Testing (MMT) of the plantar flexors and knee extensors based on the Medical Research Council (MRC) 0-5 grading scale. Each muscle group will be tested twice on the dominant side, and the higher grade will be recorded. Participants with grades ≤3 will be classified as having low muscle strength, while those with grades ≥4 will be considered to have sufficient strength for participation in low-intensity resistance training and neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES). MMT is a reliable and widely used clinical method for muscle strength assessment
baseline to 4 week

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Riphah International University

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Sabiha Arshad, MS, Riphah International University

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)

May 17, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

July 6, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

August 6, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

June 8, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 8, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

June 12, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

June 12, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 8, 2026

Last Verified

June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • REC/RCR&AHS/25/0217

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

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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