Sedentary Individuals Not Participating in Regular Exercise Training/Physical ActivityMEINCT07418619
Minimum Effective Exercise Intensity in Sedentary Individuals
A study testing Exercise in people with Sedentary Individuals Not Participating in Regular Exercise Training/Physical Activity, run by UKK Institute at 2 sites in Finland.
Trial summary
The aim of this randomized controlled intervention study is to examine the minimum exercise intensity that has an effect on cardiorespiratory fitness and/or cardiometabolic risk factors in sedentary adults. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 30 to 55 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Sedentary Individuals Not Participating in Regular Exercise Training/Physical Activity
- What is being tested?
- Exercise
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 100 participants
- Where
- 2 sitesFinland
- Study dates
- 23 Feb 2026to 20 Dec 2026
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 30 to 55 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- 30-50-year old males and females
- Sedentary, not participating in regular exercise training/physical activity
Who cannot join
- Cardiovascular symptoms/diseases
- Musculoskeletal symptoms/diseases
- Metabolic diseases
- Resting blood pressure > 160/100 mmHg
- Body mass index ≥ 35
Trial locations and contacts
2 sites in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
Finland2 sites, 2 recruiting
- Recruiting
UKK institute for Health Promotion Research
Tampere, Pirkanmaa, 33500
Olli-Pekka Nuuttila, PhD, +35850 594 6170, olli-pekka.nuuttila@ukkinstituutti.fi
- Recruiting
Paavo Nurmi Centre
Turku, Southwest Finland, 20540
Pekka Matomäki, PhD, +358449828506, pekka.j.matomaki@jyu.fi
About this study
Official title: Minimum Effective Exercise Intensity for Improving Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Cardiometabolic Health in Sedentary Individuals
The aim of this randomized controlled intervention study is to examine the minimum exercise intensity that has an effect on cardiorespiratory fitness and/or cardiometabolic risk factors in sedentary adults. In addition, the study seeks to examine which background factors explain individual differences in exercise responses.
Read the detailed description
The study consists of a 2-week baseline period followed by two 6-week intervention periods. The study will compare changes in the predefined outcome variables between the exercise intervention groups and the control group that does not perform any exercise training. In addition to intensity prescribed relative to oxygen uptake reserve, exercise intensity will be retrospectively analyzed in relation to the first ventilatory threshold in order to examine the lowest effective intensity using this method as well. Among background factors, possible modifiers assumed on the basis of previous literature, will be analyzed to assess their contribution to inter-individual differences in the outcome responses. Potential main contributors are considered to be sex, the basal value of the outcome, nutritional habits, physical activity and stationary behavior outside the prescribed training, and non-invasive indicators of stress.
- Being tested
- Exercise
- Keywords
- cardiorespiratory fitness, cardiometabolic health, exercise training, exercise intensity
- Medical subject headings
- Motor Activity
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
ExerciseOther
6 weeks of 3 x 30 min/week supervised cycle ergometer training and 6 weeks of 3 x 40-50 min/week supervised cycle ergometer training
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| 30 %/VO2reserve intervention group | Experimental | Not described Receives: Other: Exercise |
| 40 %/VO2reserve intervention group | Experimental | Not described Receives: Other: Exercise |
| 50 %/VO2reserve intervention group | Experimental | Not described Receives: Other: Exercise |
| 60 %/VO2reserve intervention group | Experimental | Not described Receives: Other: Exercise |
| Control group | No intervention | Not described |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Maximal oxygen consumption
Assessed with step-ramp-step protocol
Measured: Pre (week 0), mid (after 6 weeks), post (after 12 weeks)
Ventilatory thresholds
Assessed with step-ramp-step protocol
Measured: Pre (week 0), mid (after 6 weeks), post (after 12 weeks)
Secondary outcomes (15)
Pmax
Maximum power of the ramp cycle ergometer test
Measured: Pre (week 0), mid (after 6 weeks), post (after 12 weeks)
Concentration of LDL cholesterol
Fasting state blood sample
Measured: Pre (week 0), mid (after 6 weeks), post (after 12 weeks)
Concentration of HDL cholesterol
Fasting state blood sample
Measured: Pre (week 0), mid (after 6 weeks), post (after 12 weeks)
Concentration of total cholesterol
Fasting state blood sample
Measured: Pre (week 0), mid (after 6 weeks), post (after 12 weeks)
Concentration of triglycerides
Fasting state blood sample
Measured: Pre (week 0), mid (after 6 weeks), post (after 12 weeks)
Concentration of blood glucose
Fasting state blood sample
Measured: Pre (week 0), mid (after 6 weeks), post (after 12 weeks)
Concentration of insulin
Fasting state blood sample
Measured: Pre (week 0), mid (after 6 weeks), post (after 12 weeks)
HOMA-IR
(Insulin × Glucose) / 22.5
Measured: Pre (week 0), mid (after 6 weeks), post (after 12 weeks)
HbA1c
Fasting state blood sample
Measured: Pre (week 0), mid (after 6 weeks), post (after 12 weeks)
Blood pressure
Systolic and diastolic blood pressure
Measured: Pre (week 0), mid (after 6 weeks), post (after 12 weeks)
Resting heart rate
In sitting position
Measured: Pre (week 0), mid (after 6 weeks), post (after 12 weeks)
Resting heart rate variability
Root mean square of successive differences in sitting position
Measured: Pre (week 0), mid (after 6 weeks), post (after 12 weeks)
Gross efficiency
Gross efficiency during standard load
Measured: Pre (week 0), mid (after 6 weeks), post (after 12 weeks)
Body weight
Measured using an electronic scale.
Measured: Pre (week 0), mid (after 6 weeks), post (after 12 weeks)
Waist circumference
Measured: Pre (week 0), mid (after 6 weeks), post (after 12 weeks)
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted18 Feb 2026
- Study start23 Feb 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion20 Dec 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion20 Dec 2026 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Sedentary Individuals Not Participating in Regular Exercise Training/Physical ActivityStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Model description
- Four parallel intervention groups and control group
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Participant
- Enrolment
- 100 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- UKK Institute
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Paavo Nurmi Center & Unit for Health and Physical Activity, Juho Vainion säätiö
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Olli-Pekka Nuuttila, UKK Institute
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07418619
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- MINI26
- Acronym
- MEI
- Status last verified
- Feb 2026
- First submitted
- 20 Jan 2026
- Last updated
- 18 Feb 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No: The study involves group-based training, and complete anonymity of the results cannot be guaranteed with certainty.
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 18 Feb 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Minimum Effective Exercise Intensity for Improving Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Cardiometabolic Health in Sedentary Individuals
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07418619
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- MEI / MINI26
- Keywords
- cardiorespiratory fitness, cardiometabolic health, exercise training, exercise intensity
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 100 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- UKK InstituteUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Paavo Nurmi Center & Unit for Health and Physical Activity, Juho Vainion säätiö
- Study start
- 23 Feb 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion
- 20 Dec 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 20 Dec 2026 (estimated)
- First posted
- 18 Feb 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The aim of this randomized controlled intervention study is to examine the minimum exercise intensity that has an effect on cardiorespiratory fitness and/or cardiometabolic risk factors in sedentary adults. In addition, the study seeks to examine which background factors explain individual differences in exercise responses.
Detailed description
The study consists of a 2-week baseline period followed by two 6-week intervention periods. The study will compare changes in the predefined outcome variables between the exercise intervention groups and the control group that does not perform any exercise training. In addition to intensity prescribed relative to oxygen uptake reserve, exercise intensity will be retrospectively analyzed in relation to the first ventilatory threshold in order to examine the lowest effective intensity using this method as well. Among background factors, possible modifiers assumed on the basis of previous literature, will be analyzed to assess their contribution to inter-individual differences in the outcome responses. Potential main contributors are considered to be sex, the basal value of the outcome, nutritional habits, physical activity and stationary behavior outside the prescribed training, and non-invasive indicators of stress.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (participant)
- Number of arms
- 5
- Model description
- Four parallel intervention groups and control group
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| 30 %/VO2reserve intervention group | Experimental | Other: Exercise |
| 40 %/VO2reserve intervention group | Experimental | Other: Exercise |
| 50 %/VO2reserve intervention group | Experimental | Other: Exercise |
| 60 %/VO2reserve intervention group | Experimental | Other: Exercise |
| Control group | No intervention | – |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 30 to 55 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (2 listed)
- 30-50-year old males and females
- Sedentary, not participating in regular exercise training/physical activity
Key exclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Cardiovascular symptoms/diseases
- Musculoskeletal symptoms/diseases
- Metabolic diseases
- Resting blood pressure > 160/100 mmHg
- Body mass index ≥ 35
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Exercise6 weeks of 3 x 30 min/week supervised cycle ergometer training and 6 weeks of 3 x 40-50 min/week supervised cycle ergometer training | Other | 30 %/VO2reserve intervention group, 40 %/VO2reserve intervention group, 50 %/VO2reserve intervention group, 60 %/VO2reserve intervention group |
Primary outcome
Maximal oxygen consumption
Time frame: Pre (week 0), mid (after 6 weeks), post (after 12 weeks)
Assessed with step-ramp-step protocol
Ventilatory thresholds
Time frame: Pre (week 0), mid (after 6 weeks), post (after 12 weeks)
Assessed with step-ramp-step protocol
15 secondary outcomes
Pmax
Time frame: Pre (week 0), mid (after 6 weeks), post (after 12 weeks)
Concentration of LDL cholesterol
Time frame: Pre (week 0), mid (after 6 weeks), post (after 12 weeks)
Concentration of HDL cholesterol
Time frame: Pre (week 0), mid (after 6 weeks), post (after 12 weeks)
Concentration of total cholesterol
Time frame: Pre (week 0), mid (after 6 weeks), post (after 12 weeks)
Concentration of triglycerides
Time frame: Pre (week 0), mid (after 6 weeks), post (after 12 weeks)
Concentration of blood glucose
Time frame: Pre (week 0), mid (after 6 weeks), post (after 12 weeks)
Concentration of insulin
Time frame: Pre (week 0), mid (after 6 weeks), post (after 12 weeks)
HOMA-IR
Time frame: Pre (week 0), mid (after 6 weeks), post (after 12 weeks)
HbA1c
Time frame: Pre (week 0), mid (after 6 weeks), post (after 12 weeks)
Blood pressure
Time frame: Pre (week 0), mid (after 6 weeks), post (after 12 weeks)
Resting heart rate
Time frame: Pre (week 0), mid (after 6 weeks), post (after 12 weeks)
Resting heart rate variability
Time frame: Pre (week 0), mid (after 6 weeks), post (after 12 weeks)
Gross efficiency
Time frame: Pre (week 0), mid (after 6 weeks), post (after 12 weeks)
Body weight
Time frame: Pre (week 0), mid (after 6 weeks), post (after 12 weeks)
Waist circumference
Time frame: Pre (week 0), mid (after 6 weeks), post (after 12 weeks)
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 18 Feb 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No. The study involves group-based training, and complete anonymity of the results cannot be guaranteed with certainty.
Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
2 sites in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Exercise in people with Sedentary Individuals Not Participating in Regular Exercise Training/Physical Activity, run by UKK Institute at 2 sites in Finland.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 2 inclusion and 5 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 18 Feb 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 2 sites in Finland. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Olli-Pekka S Nuuttila, PhD (+358505946170, olli-pekka.nuuttila@ukkinstituutti.fi), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Maximal oxygen consumption (time frame: Pre (week 0), mid (after 6 weeks), post (after 12 weeks)). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 18 Feb 2026.