Predicting the Efficacy of Resistance Exercise Training for Improving Endurance Performance

Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences25 enrolled

Overview

The overall objective of the study is to identify molecular determinants of the efficacy of resistance training for improving endruance performance in elite cyclists

For elite endurance athletes, the addition of resistance training to habitual endurance training routines generally leads to improved endurance performance. However, this is not always the case, with several individuals failing to respond in the expected manner. This inter-individual variation is likely associated with inherent cellular and molecular charateristics of skeletal muscle. Indeed, responses to resistance training seem to be associated with muscle biological characteristics such as muscle fiber composition and ribosomal content (during the early phase of resistance training). The study will investigate the association between muscle fibre composition (type I vs type II muscle fiber proportions) / ribosomal content in m. vastus lateralis and the effects of 10 weeks of resistance training on endurance performance in 52 elite cyclists. Half the participants will perform resistance training in addition to their habitual endurance training routines, the other half will perform endurance training-only. Muscle biopsies will be sampled from m. vastus lateralis before and after the first two weeks of the intervention. For muscle fiber composition, the hypothesis is that larger proportions of type II fibers will be associated with more pronounced benefits of resistance training. For ribosomal content, the hypothesis is that higher rRNA content at baseline and larger increases in rRNA content during the initial part of the intervention will be associated with more pronounced benefits of resistance training. No changes are expected in the non-resistance training control group.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

DOUBLE

Enrollment

Conditions

Elite Cyclists

Interventions

Resistance trainingBEHAVIORAL

Resistance training sessions twice a week for ten weeks

Endurance training (habitual)BEHAVIORAL

Endurance training for ten weeks (habitual routines)

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 YearsMax age: 45 YearsHealthy volunteers:

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion criteria: * VO2max \> 65 ml/kg/min (male participants) * VO2max \> 50 ml/kg/min (female participants) * \>7 hours of endurance training per week for the 6 months leading up to the study Exclusion criteria: \- having conducted regular resistance training for the last 6 months leading up to the study

Locations (1)

Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences

Lillehammer, Inland Norway, Norway

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Performance during a 40-minute all-out cycling test

Mean power output measured during a 40-minute all-out cycling test

Time frame: Changes from before the intervention to immediately after the intervention

Performance during a 15-minute all-out cycling test

Mean power output measured during a 15-minute all-out cycling test

Time frame: Changes from before the intervention to immediately after the intervention

Secondary Outcomes

Total RNA in muscle tissue (before intervention)

Total RNA content in m. vastus lateralis (ug per mg tissue)

Time frame: Before the intervention

Total RNA in muscle tissue (changes after two weeks)

Total RNA content in m. vastus lateralis (ug per mg tissue)

Time frame: Changes from before the intervention to immediately after the initial two weeks of resistance training

Muscle fiber proportions (before intervention)

Muscle fiber proportions in m. vastus lateralis measured using immunohistochemistry

Time frame: Before the intervention

Muscle fiber proportions (changes after two weeks)

Muscle fiber proportions in m. vastus lateralis measured using immunohistochemistry

Time frame: Changes from before the intervention to immediately after the initial two weeks of resistance training

Muscle fiber cross-sectional area (before intervention)

Cross-sectional area of muscle fibres in m. vastus lateralis measured using immunohistochemistry

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

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Time frame: Before the intervention

Muscle fiber cross-sectional area (changes after two weeks)

Cross-sectional area of muscle fibres in m. vastus lateralis measured using immunohistochemistry

Time frame: Changes from before the intervention to immediately after the initial two weeks of resistance training

Myonuclear number (before intervention)

Myonuclei per muscle fiber in m. vastus lateralis measured using immunohistochemistry

Time frame: Before the intervention

Myonuclear number (changes after two weeks)

Myonuclei per muscle fiber in m. vastus lateralis measured using immunohistochemistry

Time frame: Changes from before the intervention to immediately after the initial two weeks of resistance training

rRNA expression (before intervention)

rRNA abundances in m. vastus lateralis measured using qPCR

Time frame: Before the intervention

rRNA expression (changes after two weeks)

rRNA abundances in m. vastus lateralis measured using qPCR

Time frame: Changes from before the intervention to immediately after the initial two weeks of resistance training

mRNA expression (before intervention)

mRNA abundances in m. vastus lateralis measured using qPCR

Time frame: Before the intervention

mRNA expression (changes after two weeks)

mRNA abundances in m. vastus lateralis measured using qPCR

Time frame: Changes from before the intervention to immediately after the initial two weeks of resistance training

Maximal concentric force production

Maximal concentric force production measured using a seated leg press test

Time frame: Changes from before the intervention to immediately after the intervention

Sprint performance

Mean power output measured during a 10-second all-out cycling sprint

Time frame: Changes from before the intervention to immediately after the intervention

Maximal oxygen consumption

Maximal oxygen consumption measured during an incremental cycling exercise test to exhaustion

Time frame: Changes from before the intervention to immediately after the intervention

Maximal aerobic power output

Maximal aerobic power output measured as mean power output during the last minute of an incremental cycling exercise test to exhaustion

Time frame: Changes from before the intervention to immediately after the intervention

Power output at lactate threshold

Power output at 4 mmol blood lactate concentration measured during an incremental cycling exercise test (with 5 minute steps)

Time frame: Changes from before the intervention to immediately after the intervention

Gross efficiency

Contribution of total energy turnover to power output in the fresh and fatigued state

Time frame: Changes from before the intervention to immediately after the intervention

Fractional utilization of VO2max (incremental test)

Fractional utilization of VO2max measured at 4 mmol blood lactate concentrations measured during an incremental cycling exercise test (with 5 minute steps)

Time frame: Changes from before the intervention to immediately after the intervention

Fractional utilization of VO2max (15-minute performance test)

Fractional utilization of VO2max measured during a 15-minute performance test

Time frame: Changes from before the intervention to immediately after the intervention

Hemoglobin mass

Hemoglobin mass measured using CO rebreathing (g)

Time frame: Changes from before the intervention to immediately after the intervention

Blood volume

Blood volume measured using CO rebreathing

Time frame: Changes from before the intervention to immediately after the intervention

Plasma volume

Plasma volume measured using CO rebreathing

Time frame: Changes from before the intervention to immediately after the intervention

Red blood cell volume

Red blood cell volume measured using CO rebreathing

Time frame: Changes from before the intervention to immediately after the intervention

Hematocrit

Hematocrit measured using centrifugation

Time frame: Changes from before the intervention to immediately after the intervention