Cardiovascular Autonomic Function After Resistance Training

July 21, 2026 updated by: Sungchul Huh, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital

Effects of 8-Week Resistance Training on Cardiovascular Autonomic Function in Spinal Cord Injury

The purpose of this clinical trial is to evaluate whether an 8-week upper-limb resistance training program improves cardiovascular autonomic function in adults with chronic spinal cord injury (SCI). The primary objectives are to determine whether upper-limb resistance training improves heart rate variability (HRV) and baroreflex sensitivity (BRS), and whether it improves blood pressure responses during postural change, upper-limb strength, symptoms related to orthostatic hypotension, and quality of life.

Participants will be randomly assigned to either the resistance training group or the control group. All participants will complete assessments before and after the 8-week study period, including measurements of HRV, BRS, blood pressure responses during a tilt-table test, hand grip strength, and questionnaires assessing orthostatic hypotension symptoms and quality of life. Participants assigned to the resistance training group will participate in supervised upper-limb resistance training three times per week for 8 weeks.

Study Overview

Status

Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

SCI can impair cardiovascular autonomic function by disrupting the neural pathways that regulate heart rate and blood pressure. As a result, many individuals with SCI experience cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction, including orthostatic hypotension, which may increase cardiovascular health risks.

Although exercise is recommended for people with SCI, previous studies have mainly focused on aerobic exercise and have demonstrated inconsistent effects on cardiovascular autonomic function. Upper-limb resistance training is widely used in rehabilitation to improve strength and functional independence, but its effects on autonomic function have not been well established.

This randomized controlled trial will evaluate whether an 8-week upper-limb resistance training program improves cardiovascular autonomic function in adults with chronic SCI. The study will assess changes in HRV and BRS, while also exploring changes in orthostatic blood pressure responses, upper-limb strength, orthostatic hypotension symptoms, and quality of life. The findings may provide evidence supporting upper-limb resistance training as a rehabilitation strategy to improve cardiovascular autonomic function in individuals with chronic SCI.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

20

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 Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • South Korea
    • Gyeongsangnam-do
      • Yangsan, Gyeongsangnam-do, South Korea, 50612
        • Pusan national university yangsan hospital
        • Contact:
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Sungchul Huh, MD, PhD

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
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Provided written informed consent and agreed to participate in the study.
  • Adults aged 19 to 85 years.
  • Chronic spinal cord injury (SCI) of traumatic or non-traumatic etiology, at least 6 months after injury.
  • Cervical or thoracic spinal cord injury.
  • Classified as American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) Impairment Scale (AIS) grade A, B, C, or D.
  • Sufficient upper-limb range of motion to perform resistance training.
  • Elbow extensor muscle strength of Manual Muscle Test (MMT) grade 3 or higher.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Presence of any serious medical condition that would preclude participation in the study.
  • Inability to understand or perform the exercise program.
  • Uncontrolled diabetes mellitus or progressive neurological disease.
  • Uncontrolled hypertension (systolic blood pressure >140 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure >90 mmHg).
  • History of cardiovascular disease within the past 6 months.
  • Current use of medications that may affect heart rate variability (HRV) or baroreflex sensitivity (BRS).
  • Severe orthostatic hypotension (OH) or autonomic dysreflexia (AD).
  • Considered unsuitable for participation in the study by a board-certified specialist in Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine.

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: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Exercise group
Participants will receive a supervised upper-limb resistance training program three times per week for 8 weeks. The program consists of progressive resistance exercises for the upper extremities.
Behavioral: Upper-Limb Resistance Training
Participants will perform a supervised upper-limb resistance training program three times per week for 8 weeks. Each session will last approximately 30 minutes and consist of progressive resistance exercises for the upper extremities. Exercise intensity will be progressively adjusted according to each participant's tolerance.
No Intervention: Control group
Participants will continue their usual daily activities without participating in the resistance training program during the 8-week study period.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Heart Rate Variability
Time Frame: Baseline and Week 8
Heart rate variability will be assessed to evaluate changes in cardiovascular autonomic function following the 8-week intervention.
Baseline and Week 8
Baroreflex Sensitivity
Time Frame: Baseline and Week 8
Baroreflex sensitivity will be assessed to evaluate changes in cardiovascular autonomic function following the 8-week intervention.
Baseline and Week 8

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Orthostatic Hypotension
Time Frame: Baseline and Week 8
Orthostatic hypotension will be assessed by changes in systolic and diastolic blood pressure (ΔSBP and ΔDBP) during postural change using a tilt table. Orthostatic hypotension will be defined as a decrease in systolic blood pressure of ≥20 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure of ≥10 mmHg.
Baseline and Week 8
Grip Strength
Time Frame: Baseline and Week 8
Grip strength will be measured using a hand dynamometer to evaluate changes in upper-limb muscle strength following the intervention.
Baseline and Week 8
Orthostatic Hypotension Symptoms (ADFSCI)
Time Frame: Baseline and Week 8
Orthostatic hypotension-related symptoms will be assessed using the orthostatic hypotension items of the Autonomic Dysfunction Following Spinal Cord Injury (ADFSCI) questionnaire.
Baseline and Week 8
Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF)
Time Frame: Baseline and Week 8
Quality of life will be assessed using the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) questionnaire.
Baseline and Week 8

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Sungchul Huh, MD, PhD, Pusan national university yangsan hospital

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 (Estimated)

July 27, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

December 31, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

December 31, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

July 21, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

July 21, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

July 24, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

July 24, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

July 21, 2026

Last Verified

July 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 11-2026-006

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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