Trials / Recruiting

RecruitingNCT07502742

Pain in Aging Former Athletes, Master's Athletes, and Nonathletes

Pain in Athletes INtervention (PAIN): A Randomized Crossover Clinical Trial in Aging Former Athletes, Master's Athletes, and Nonathletes

Status: Recruiting
Phase: N/A
Study type: Interventional
Enrollment: 90 (estimated)

Sponsor: Marquette University · Academic / Other
Sex: All
Age: 35 Years – 65 Years
Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to determine how male and female former athletes experience pain and respond to moderate-intensity exercise (strength versus aerobic) compared with both current master's athletes and nonathletes. The main questions this study aims to address are: 1. How do former athletes, master's athletes, and nonathletes experience pain? 2. How do different types of moderate-intensity exercise (strength versus aerobic exercise) influence pain in former athletes, master's athletes, and nonathletes? Participants will complete 3 different testing sessions: 1. Baseline testing including assessments of strength, cardiorespiratory fitness, and pain; 2. Strength exercise: pain assessments will occur before and after moderate-intensity strength training exercise; 3. Aerobic exercise: pain assessments will occur before and after moderate-intensity aerobic exercise. There will be a washout period of approximately one week or greater between each of the three different testing sessions. The order of conditions (strength versus aerobic exercise) will be randomized (crossover randomized trial design).

Detailed description

Two major health challenges facing midlife adults in our society are chronic pain and insufficient physical activity (PA). Chronic pain is highly prevalent among females and those who previously engaged in substantial vigorous PA, such as former competitive athletes. Exercise (i.e., a specific planned subtype of PA) is one of the best interventions for optimizing health, maintaining function, and preserving cardiorespiratory fitness - yet ironically often not continued among midlife adults who were highly physically active as youth and young adults in competitive sports. While PA and other lifestyle behaviors (e.g., sleep) likely influence pain processing and response to exercise, the mechanisms underlying pain in males and females with distinct PA trajectories are unknown. Pain is a common and critical barrier to regular exercise. Yet exercise has paradoxical effects on pain, generally increasing pain during exercise and providing pain relief after, i.e., exercise-induced hypoalgesia. While higher exercise intensities may lead to greater exercise-induced hypoalgesia, the greater pain and discomfort experienced during high-intensity exercise may prevent uptake, making moderate-intensity exercise a promising solution balancing physiological benefits and exercise-induced hypoalgesia. The investigators' long-term objective is to alleviate pain, increase PA, and improve health in midlife and aging adults. This randomized crossover clinical trial will determine how markedly different PA trajectories and sex influence pain, lifestyle behaviors, and the pain response to exercise (exercise-induced hypoalgesia). Given that pain is affected by PA and sports history, this proposal will examine pain processing in midlife males and females with distinct PA trajectories evenly split across 3 unique groups: 1) former athletes no longer participating in sports; 2) master's athletes; and 3) nonathletes. In order to compare pain perceptions and processing in former athletes, master's athletes, and nonathletes, quantitative sensory testing and validated questionnaires will be used. Lifestyle behaviors (PA and sleep) will be assessed using wearable devices. Moderate-intensity strength and aerobic exercise interventions will be included to determine how these influence the pain perceptions of former athletes, current master's athletes and nonathletes. Full participation will involve completing three in-person sessions including baseline assessment session and two intervention sessions (i.e., follow-up 1 and follow-up 2 at approximately 1 week intervals) at Marquette University as well as wearing a small physical activity monitor for 2 weeks following baseline session and an OURA ring for the duration of the study. Aim 1: Determine the impact of physical activity history (group) and sex on (1a) pain processing and (1b) lifestyle behaviors in midlife adults (former athletes, master's athletes, and nonathletes). Aim 2: Quantify the effect of physical activity history (group) and sex on the change in pain response to moderate-intensity exercise and explore differences in pain response to exercise modality (i.e., strength versus aerobic).

Conditions

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Moderate-Intensity Strength Exercise Intervention	Participants will perform 10 isometric knee extension repetitions unilaterally on both sides separately for 10 seconds with each repetition at 50% of their maximal volitional contraction (MVC) on an electromechanical dynamometer. Participants will be provided 50 seconds rest in between repetitions. Numeric pain intensity ratings (0-10) and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) will be recorded before, during, and following exercise. Quantitative Sensory Testing (i.e., PPTs and TSP) will be assessed before and after the exercise intervention. If there is a more affected limb with regards to pain, the less affected limb will be exercised first. If there is not a more affected limb, side will be randomized. A warm up will be performed prior to the intervention.
OTHER	Moderate-Intensity Aerobic Exercise Intervention	Participants will complete aerobic exercise at 40-59% of their heart rate reserve (HRR) through the mode of incline walking on a treadmill for 30 minutes with a 2 -minute warm up and 2-minute cool down with a target intensity of \~50% HRR. Adjustments will be made to the incline and speed throughout the intervention as needed to maintain 40-59% HRR range. Numeric pain intensity ratings (0-10) and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) will be recorded before, during, and following exercise. Quantitative Sensory Testing (i.e., PPTs and TSP) will be assessed before and after the exercise intervention. Heart rate will be measured throughout the walking intervention to ensure the participant is within the targeted range for moderate intensity; pre- and post-aerobic intervention heart rate and blood pressure will be taken.

Timeline

Start date: 2026-03-02
Primary completion: 2028-05-01
Completion: 2028-05-01
First posted: 2026-03-31
Last updated: 2026-03-31

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov record NCT07502742. Inclusion in this directory is not an endorsement.