🔎 Trials Near Me

Home › Sarcopenia › NCT06689618

Effects of Whole-body Electrical Muscle Stimulation Exercise on Spinal Motoneuronal Activation in Older Adults

RecruitingHealthy volunteers welcome

Who can join

Ages 18 and older · All sexes · Healthy volunteers welcome

Full eligibility criteria
Inclusion Criteria:

* Age (65 years or older) for healthy older adults and between 18-39 for healthy younger adults
* Ambulatory without an assistive device
* More than anti-gravity strength in major muscle groups as assessed by manual muscle testing
* Medical clearance to participate in an exercise program
* Ability to conform to the requirements of the study (i.e. attendance at assessment and intervention visits, maintain current level of non-study physical activity for the duration of the study, no intention to relocate mid-study)

Exclusion Criteria:

* Regular use of an assistive device for mobility (i.e. cane, walker, wheelchair)
* Presence of a pacemaker, metal implants, or other implanted medical devices that could impact participant safety during WB-EMS intervention
* Known pregnancy at the time of screening
* Presence of unstable acute or chronic disease (i.e. renal failure, rheumatologic disease cardia arrhythmia, neoplasm, uncontrolled hypertension)
* Presence of terminal disease (i.e. receiving hospice services)
* Current of previous use of any drugs known to influence muscle mass or performance within 6 months; these may include but are not limited to anabolic steroids, IGF01, growth hormone, replacement and androgen therapy, anti-androgen therapy.
* Known neuromuscular or neurologic condition affecting somatosensory or motor function/control (i.e. motor neuron disease, muscle disease, severe peripheral neuropathy, NMJ disease, Parkinson's disease, Multiple Sclerosis, h/o stroke, TBI, SCI, ataxia, apraxia, hemiplegia, etc.)
* Musculoskeletal condition or surgery in the past year that would confound results of exercise interventions (i.e. TKA, THA, RTC repair, spinal fusion)
* Other medical conditions, signs, or symptoms that would interfere with study conduct or interpretation of results as determined by a PI

About the study

During this pilot study, the investigators will examine the effects of whole-body electrical muscle stimulation exercise (WB-EMS Exercise) on motoneuronal activation in healthy adults, which typically decreases with age. The investigators will also test whether WB-EMS Exercise will improve measures of physical function. Participants will undergo clinical and electrophysiologic testing before and after the WB-EMS Exercise intervention. The WB-EMS Exercise intervention will be delivered two times per week for four weeks. The hypothesis is that whole-body electrical muscle stimulation combined with physical exercise (WB-EMS Exercise) could bypass the problem of insufficient motoneuronal activation to improve exercise effect in older adults.

What is being tested

Sponsor: University of Missouri-Columbia · Participants: 12 · Started: Aug 18, 2025

Contact the study team

Official record on ClinicalTrials.gov — NCT06689618

Locations in the U.S.

MissouriNextGen Precision Health Building, Clinical and Translational Science Unit, Columbia

Conditions

From ClinicalTrials.gov, data retrieved Sep 30, 2026. Each study sets its own eligibility; the study team decides who can join.