Glycolysis, Healthy Volunteers, Moderately Trainend, Muscle Hypertrophy
Conditions
Keywords
Resistance Training, vLapeak, Skeletal Muscle Adaptation, Metabolic Phenotyping, Exercise Physiology
Brief summary
The HyperLa study investigates whether a person's "glycolyticness"-the efficiency with which their body uses glycolysis for energy-can predict how much their muscles will grow (hypertrophy) in response to resistance training. Participants will undergo a specialized "vLapeak" test, which measures the maximal rate of lactate accumulation during a 10-second all-out cycling sprint, to determine their individual glycolytic power. Following this initial assessment, participants will complete eight weeks of standardized, twice-weekly resistance training focused on the lower body. The study aims to determine if individuals with higher initial vLapeak values experience greater increases in muscle size compared to those with lower values. This research may help explain why people respond differently to exercise and support the development of personalized training programs.
Detailed description
This multicentre, prospective, single-arm interventional cohort study aims to link metabolic phenotypes with physical adaptations. * Primary Assessment: Glycolytic power is quantified via the vLapeak test, defined as the peak rate of blood lactate accumulation during a 10-second isokinetic or sprint-configured cycle ergometry test. * Intervention: The 8-week resistance training program consists of two supervised sessions per week. Exercises include the leg press (or Smith-machine squat) and leg extensions, performed for 4 sets of 8-12 repetitions. Intensity progresses from an RPE of 6 to voluntary muscular failure by the third week. * Measurements: Muscle hypertrophy is primarily assessed via ultrasound measurement of muscle thickness and cross-sectional area (CSA) of the thigh muscles before and after the intervention. * Secondary Objectives: The study also evaluates changes in the plasma metabolome via venous blood samples and, at select sites, analyzes muscle biopsies for glycolytic enzyme activity and fiber type composition to further validate the vLapeak results.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALHypertrophy-focused Resistance Training
Standardized training consisting of twice-weekly supervised sessions for 8 weeks. Each session includes 4 sets of 8-12 repetitions of leg press (or Smith-machine squat) and leg extensions. Training intensity progresses from an RPE of 6 to voluntary muscular failure starting from week three.
Sponsors
Technical University of Munich
Chemnitz University of Technology
DLR German Aerospace Center
University of Jyvaskyla
University of Limerick
IST University of Applied Sciences Düsseldorf
Institute for Applied Training Science (IAT/FES e.V.)
Study design
Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Intervention model description
This is a multi-centre, prospective, single-arm interventional cohort study. All participants will undergo the same standardized, 8-week hypertrophy-focused resistance training program, consisting of twice-weekly supervised sessions. Because the study aims to correlate an individual's baseline metabolic phenotype (vLapeak) with their subsequent physical adaptation (muscle hypertrophy), no control group is utilized. Blinding is not possible due to the nature of the exercise intervention.
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 39 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Body Mass Index (BMI) between 20-29 kg/m2 * No structured resistance training performed in the last twelve months. * Maximum of four sessions per week of recreational or low-to-moderate aerobic endurance activity. * No history of competitive strength or physique sports.
Exclusion criteria
* Diagnosed cardiovascular, pulmonary, metabolic, neuromuscular, or orthopaedic disease that contraindicates exercise. * Positive response to any question on the PAR-Q 2025 questionnaire. * Current use of anabolic steroids, creatine, or other substances known to strongly influence muscle hypertrophy. * Regular engagement in shift work. * Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in mid-thigh Muscle Thickness | Baseline and Week 8 (completion of training intervention) | Change in mid-thigh muscle thickness (combination of rectus femoris and vastus intermedius) as measured by ultrasound. |
| Change in lateral-thigh Muscle Thickness | Baseline and Week 8 (completion of training intervention) | Change in lateral thigh muscle thickness (combination of vastus lateralis and vastus intermedius) as measured by ultrasound. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in Peak Rate of Blood Lactate Accumulation (vLapeak) | Baseline and Week 8 (completion of training intervention) | Peak rate of blood lactate accumulation before and after a 10-second all-out seated cycle ergometry test. Blood lactate will be sampled every minute for 10 minutes post-test to capture the peak value. |
| Change in Vastus Lateralis Muscle Cross-Sectional Area (CSA) | Baseline and Week 8 (completion of training intervention) | Change in cross-sectional area of the vastus lateralis at 50% of muscle length measured via ultrasound. |
| Maximal Strength (3RM) for Leg Press | Baseline and Week 8 (completion of training intervention) | Change in 3-Repetition Maximum (3RM) for the leg press exercise to assess lower-body multi-joint maximal strength. |
| Maximal Strength (3RM) for Leg Exentsion | Baseline and Week 8 (completion of training intervention) | Change in 3-Repetition Maximum (3RM) for the leg extension exercise to assess single-joint quadriceps strength. |
| Change in Relative Abundance of Selected Plasma Metabolites | Baseline and Week 8 (completion of training intervention) | Change in the relative concentration of targeted plasma metabolites from baseline to Week 8, as analyzed via mass spectrometry. |
Countries
Finland, Germany, Ireland, Spain
Contacts
CONTACTHenning Wackerhage, Prof. Dr.
CONTACTLara Becker
Outcome results
None listed