Contribution of Corticospinal and Reticulospinal Mechanisms to Neural Adaptations Induced by Muscle Strengthening of Healthy Adults (RenfoRS)

This controlled trial aims to investigate the neural adaptations induced by a 4-week resistance training program targeting the triceps surae muscles. Specifically, the study will examine the contribution of the corticospinal and reticulospinal pathways to the nervous adaptations associated with resistance training. It will give us more information about the nervous pathways mediating adaptations following this type of training. The main question it aims to answer is: What is the contribution of the cortico- and reticulospinal tracts to the nervous adaptations following a resistance training program?

Participants will take part to a resistance training program of the triceps surae for 4 weeks. They will undergo assessments of corticospinal and reticulospinal excitability before and after the training intervention to determine changes in neural pathways

The findings will improve our understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying strength gains following resistance training.

Study Overview

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

22

Phase

  • Not Applicable

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

18 years to 40 years (Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Male or female participants aged 18 to 40 years
  • Willing and able to provide written informed consent
  • No regular participation (>1 session per week) in resistance training aimed at increasing maximal strength
  • Affiliated with, or beneficiary of, a social security system

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Personal or family history of epilepsy
  • Conditions associated with a significantly reduced seizure threshold, including sleep deprivation, extreme fatigue, or jet lag
  • Use of medications or substances known to lower the seizure threshold
  • Use of medications that may influence neurophysiological measures (e.g., neuroleptics, anxiolytics, antidepressants, anticonvulsants)
  • Presence of cardiac pacemakers or other implanted devices that may interfere with magnetic fields
  • Presence of metallic implants (mechanical or electronic), including cochlear implants, cranial implants, cardiac or neural stimulators, drug infusion pumps, magnetic aneurysm clips, or cerebrospinal fluid shunts
  • Presence of non-removable metallic objects
  • Presence of intraocular or intracranial metallic foreign bodies
  • Known hearing disorders (e.g., tinnitus)
  • History of psychiatric or neurological disorders
  • Presence of severe cardiac or respiratory disease
  • History of severe traumatic brain injury with loss of consciousness
  • History of brain lesions of vascular, tumoral, infectious, or metabolic origin (e.g., stroke)
  • History or presence of bleeding disorders (e.g., venous or arterial thrombosis, thrombophlebitis)
  • Individuals currently under an exclusion period from another research study
  • Individuals listed under Articles L.1121-5 to L.1121-8 and L.1121-12 of the French Public Health Code, including:
  • Pregnant, parturient, or breastfeeding women
  • Women of childbearing potential not using effective contraception
  • Individuals deprived of liberty by judicial or administrative decision
  • Adults under legal protection (guardianship, curatorship, or legal safeguard) or unable to provide consent and not under such protection
  • Minors

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: Basic Science
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Resistance training group

Participants will complete a 4-week resistance training program targeting the triceps sure muscles (3 sessions per week).

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
the change in maximum force achieved during a maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) of plantar flexion (the primary action of the triceps surae muscles).
Time Frame: At baseline (before the first exercise session) and immediately after completion of the exercise sessions

The maximum force, achieved during a maximal voluntary contraction (MVC), will be recorded using an isokinetic ergometer (Biodex Medical Systems Inc., Shirley, NY, USA).

At baseline (before the first exercise session) and immediately after completion of the exercise sessions

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
The changes in the amplitude of electrophysiological responses evoked by magnetic or electrical stimulation at different levels of the neuromuscular system (cortical, thoracic, peripheral nerve).
Time Frame: During intervention

Electrophysiological responses will be recorded using surface electromyography (sEMG), with electromyography electrodes (Contrôle Graphique Medical, Brie-Compte-Robert, France) placed on the muscle surface of the muscles under study. The following techniques will be used to elicit these responses, whether or not they are conditioned by auditory stimulation: intense auditory stimulation at 115 dB (SSI) coupled with a visual stimulus (i.e., the illumination of a red light-emitting diode, LED); non-intense auditory stimulation at 70 dB (SS) coupled with the illumination of a red LED; the illumination of the red LED without any sound stimulation (V).

During intervention

Collaborators and Investigators

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

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)

September 15, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

August 1, 2029

Study Completion (Estimated)

August 1, 2029

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

June 30, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

September 15, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

September 21, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

September 21, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

September 15, 2026

Last Verified

June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

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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