NCT06532786

Neural Adaptations to Metronome-Paced Strength Training

Neural Adaptations to Metronome-Paced Strength Training: Insights From Neuroscience and Human Movement Variability

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 60 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Egas Moniz - Cooperativa de Ensino Superior, CRL · Academic / Other
• Sex: Male
• Age: 18 Years – 40 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

The aim of the study is to investigate the effects of incorporating variability within Resistance Training (RT) methods on the neural adaptations along the corticospinal tract and on neuromuscular function. The literature suggests that RTis one of the most common modalities to enhance and restore muscle function and its practice results in adaptation in neural and morphological adaptations. It is also known that conditions such as ageing and injury have a negative impact on neural drive to the muscles with consequences at motor control level that are not addressed by traditional RT. Recent approaches such as metronome paced strength training have been used to cover this motor control dimension through a greater control and consciousness of movement. However, this methodology tends not to incorporate the inherent variability and complex, fractal-like fluctuations that characterize human movement. The investigators propose that incorporating variability through a fractal-like metronome approach will speed up the neural adaptations which will be useful in injury rehab.

Conditions

• Healthy

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Fractal Paced	The intervention consists in a metronome-paced strength training session performed 3 times per week (with 48h of rest between sessions), during 4 weeks. Each session consists in 4 sets of 15 repetitions at 65% of the one-repetition maximal (1RM) in single leg extension machine, synchronizing each repetition with fractal external cues presented by a visual metronome. The rest between sets will be set at 2 minutes of rest between sets.
OTHER	Isochronous Paced	The intervention consists in a metronome-paced strength training session performed 3 times per week (with 48h of rest between sessions), during 4 weeks. Each session consists in 4 sets of 15 repetitions at 65% of the one-repetition maximal (1RM) single in leg extension machine, synchronizing each repetition with isochronus external cues presented by a visual metronome. The rest between sets will be set at 2 minutes of rest between sets.
OTHER	Self Paced	The intervention consists in a metronome-paced strength training session performed 3 times per week (with 48h of rest between sessions), during 4 weeks. Each session consists in 4 sets of 15 repetitions at 65% of the one-repetition maximal (1RM) in single leg extension machine, at their own self pace (with no metronome). The rest between sets will be set at 2 minutes of rest between sets.

Timeline

• Start date: 2024-09-15
• Primary completion: 2026-08-30
• Completion: 2026-12-31
• First posted: 2024-08-01
• Last updated: 2026-01-16

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Portugal