Female muscle enhancement (FemME)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Effectiveness of a 12-week low impact resistance training programme on muscle function, body composition, quality of life and muscle protein synthesis in females aged 40-60 years.
IRAS ID
309199
Contact name
Francis Stephens
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Exeter
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 8 months, 26 days
Research summary
Participating in regular physical activity has been shown to reduce the risk of developing some diseases and disabilities that can occur with ageing. Strength exercises build muscle and reduce the risk of osteoporosis and falls later in life. Muscles naturally decline with age, and in females this appears to occur more so around the time of menopause. Time, work, family commitments and the availability of facilities have all been identified as barriers to exercise in middle age. Increasing activity levels in middle age appears to improve muscle function and bone health. However, there is a lack of evidence in how muscle function responds to low impact resistance exercise in middle aged females. This study aims to assess the effectiveness and the mechanisms associated with building muscle as well as the effect on quality of life in middle aged (40-60 years) females using a low impact resistance training programme. The study will last a total of 24weeks and be conducted Nutritional Physiology Research Unit (NPRU) at the St Luke’s campus, University of Exeter. One group will be asked to complete 12-weeks of supervised then 12-weeks of unsupervised low impact resistance training. A second group will be asked to continue their habitual physical activity levels for the first 12-weeks and then undergo 12-weeks of unsupervised resistance training. During the first 12 weeks of the study, measurements will be taken in 4-week intervals, then one last measure at the end of the study (24-weeks). Specifically, measurements of body composition, blood health markers, strength, flexibility, balance, sleep quality, quality of life and attitude to exercise will be made. In a subset of participants, we will be taking muscle, urine, and saliva samples to measure energy expenditure and rates of muscle growth at the beginning and end of first 12 weeks of the study.
REC name
Yorkshire & The Humber - Bradford Leeds Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
22/YH/0235
Date of REC Opinion
27 Oct 2022
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion