Resistance Training for Muscle Weakness
(MiND Trial)
What You Need to Know Before You Apply
What is the purpose of this trial?
This trial aims to understand how muscle weakness develops when an arm is immobilized and whether exercising the opposite arm can help maintain strength. Researchers will study women who wear a wrist cast on one arm for a week, comparing those who perform resistance training (a type of strength exercise) with the opposite arm to those who do not. The trial targets right-handed women aged 40-65 with a grip strength over 20 kg and no recent upper-body injuries or surgeries. Participants will undergo non-invasive tests to assess how their muscles and nerves respond. As an unphased trial, this study allows participants to contribute to the scientific understanding of muscle maintenance strategies.
Will I have to stop taking my current medications?
The trial requires that you do not use certain medications, like anticoagulants, muscle relaxants, benzodiazepines, or body composition-altering drugs. If you are taking any of these, you would need to stop before participating.
What prior data suggests that this resistance training protocol is safe for women at midlife?
Research has shown that resistance training is generally safe for most people. It can enhance muscle strength and function in various groups, including older adults and young athletes. A review of studies found that traditional strength training is among the safest types, with a low risk of injury. Therefore, the exercises in the trial should be manageable. However, following the study's guidelines and instructions is crucial to minimize any potential risks.12345
Why are researchers excited about this trial?
Researchers are excited about resistance training for muscle weakness because it takes a physical, non-pharmaceutical approach to building strength. Unlike medications that target muscle weakness by addressing symptoms or underlying causes through chemical means, resistance training directly engages muscles, promoting growth and increased strength through physical activity. This method can be particularly appealing for individuals seeking natural and holistic approaches to improving muscle health, offering a direct and empowering way to combat weakness without relying on drugs.
What evidence suggests that resistance training might be an effective treatment for muscle weakness?
Research has shown that strength training can combat muscle weakness and wasting due to inactivity. In this trial, participants in the Intervention Group (TRAIN) will receive resistance training as the experimental intervention. Studies have found that strength exercises can prevent muscles from weakening during periods of disuse, such as when an arm or leg is in a cast. Evidence also suggests that exercising one arm can help maintain the strength of the other, unused arm. This concept, known as cross-education, indicates that exercising the active arm might preserve the strength and function of the immobilized arm. Overall, strength training is a proven method to maintain muscle health and prevent weakness.678910
Who Is on the Research Team?
Joshua Carr, Ph.D.
Principal Investigator
Kansas State University
Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?
This trial is for midlife women experiencing muscle weakness and atrophy due to arm immobilization. Participants will wear a wrist cast on one arm, with some receiving resistance training on the opposite arm. The study excludes specific details regarding eligibility criteria.Inclusion Criteria
Exclusion Criteria
Timeline for a Trial Participant
Screening
Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial
Immobilization and Cross-Education Intervention
Participants undergo unilateral wrist immobilization for 7 days. The TRAIN group completes three supervised resistance training sessions with the non-immobilized arm.
Rehabilitation and Recovery
Following cast removal, both groups complete a 2-week standardized rehabilitation program to restore wrist strength and function.
Follow-up
Participants are monitored for safety and effectiveness after treatment
What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?
Interventions
- Resistance training
Trial Overview
The study investigates how short-term wrist immobilization affects muscle strength and neuroplasticity in women, and if cross-education through opposite-arm resistance training can mitigate these effects. It involves testing strength and nervous system function.
How Is the Trial Designed?
2
Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Active Control
This group will receive the experimental intervention
This group will not receive the experimental intervention
Find a Clinic Near You
Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?
Kansas State University
Lead Sponsor
Cognitive and Neurobiological Approaches to Plasticity (CNAP) Center
Collaborator
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
Collaborator
Citations
Effects of resistance training on muscular strength ...
A supervised exercise program is an successful technique treating sarcopenia and physical weakness [17, 18]. RT may be especially helpful in ...
Is Resistance Training an Option to Improve Functionality ...
At the musculoskeletal level, studies indicate that up to 70% of middle-aged MS patients show muscle weakness in one or more muscle groups, with a progressive ...
3.
bmcmusculoskeletdisord.biomedcentral.com
bmcmusculoskeletdisord.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12891-025-08384-7Resistance exercise training improves disuse-induced ...
Resistance exercise training (RET) has been demonstrated as an effective countermeasure to prevent unloading-induced muscle atrophy and weakness ...
Effects of home or community-based strength training on ...
Balance problems, fatigue, and muscle weakness lead to the decrease in daily activities in patients with MS (Cakt et al., Jun 2010), whose commonest complaints ...
Effect of Contralateral Strength Training on Muscle Weakness ...
Muscle weakness severely affects the lifestyle of participants with MS, reducing their ability to perform even relatively mild physical exercise ...
Resistance training among young athletes: safety, efficacy ...
The evaluation of maximal muscle strength has also proved to be relatively safe for children and adolescents. Faigenbaum et al evaluated the safety and ...
a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies
Effects and moderators of exercise on muscle strength, muscle function and aerobic fitness in patients with cancer: a meta-analysis of individual patient data.
Resistance Exercise Training in Individuals With and ...
Resistance training can slow the rate of aging-related declines in muscle mass, power, strength, and function in healthy older adults and those ...
Safety and effectiveness of resistance training in patients ...
Respiratory muscle strength training (RMST) had been studied previously in two LOPD patients on long term ERT with severe respiratory weakness and was shown to ...
Which resistance training is safest to practice? A systematic ...
This systematic review showed that traditional strength training is the safest RT method, and strongman is the least safe regarding injuries.
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