NCT03905772

Neuromuscular Adaptations After Training in the Muscle Belly of Triceps Surae

Neuromuscular Adaptations After Training With Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation Applied Over Nerve Trunk Compared With a Muscle Belly of Triceps Surae: Randomized Controlled Trial

• Status: Suspended
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 60 (estimated)
• Sponsor: University of Brasilia · Academic / Other
• Sex: Male
• Age: 18 Years – 30 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

This study aims to evaluate on an acute session of the central and peripheral contributions of electrical stimulation on the muscle belly of the triceps surae, electrical stimulation of the tibial nerve and voluntary exercise of the triceps surae muscle, and identify responders individuals and non-responders to stimulation of the tibial nerve. Another objective of the study is to compare the effects of conventional electrical stimulation applied to the sciatic triceps muscle, tibial nerve stimulation and voluntary exercise after eight weeks of training in healthy individuals.

Detailed description

A controlled randomized controlled trial will be carried out by university students, divided equally into four groups: control group (GC), long responding pulse group (PLR), non-responder long pulse group (PLNR) and pulsed current group (CP) after the acute fase of the protocol. Muscular architecture (muscle thickness, pennation angle and fascicle length) of the muscles composing the sural triceps, H-reflex and M-wave tests (central and peripheral contribution), electromyographic signals of the medial and lateral gastrocnemius muscles and sole, voluntary and evoked joint torque of the muscles composing the sural triceps and level of sensorial discomfort. The independent intervention with the neuromuscular electrical stimulation and the isometric exercises performed by the control group will be considered as an independent variable. All groups will have the dependent variables evaluated 6 times, before, during and after the intervention, which will consist of 24 sessions (8 weeks). The training with neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) will be performed 3 times a week and will never be applied for two consecutive days, as well as the voluntary exercises performed by the control group.

Conditions

• Electrical Stimulation

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Voluntary exercise	The participants will perform 36 maximal voluntary contractions, 3 times per week for 8 weeks.
OTHER	Wide pulse responder group	The participants will perform 36 contractions with the following current parameters: pulsed current (100 Hz, pulse duration 1 ms, Ton: 6 s, Toff: 18 s), 3 times per week for 8 weeks. This group will be classified in responder group in acute fase.
OTHER	Wide pulse non responder group	The participants will perform 36 contractions with the following current parameters: pulsed current (100 Hz, pulse duration 1 ms, Ton: 6 s, Toff: 18 s), 3 times per week for 8 weeks. This group will be classified in non responder group in acute fase.
OTHER	Pulsed current group	The participants will perform 36 contractions with the following current parameters: pulsed current (100 Hz, pulse duration 250 μs, Ton: 6 s, Toff: 18 s), 3 times per week for 8 weeks.

Timeline

• Start date: 2019-04-15
• Primary completion: 2020-05-01
• Completion: 2023-12-01
• First posted: 2019-04-05
• Last updated: 2023-05-24

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Brazil