Sedentary Behavior / Physical InactivityNJPT-OLDERNCT07891000
Effects of Different Amounts of Plyometric Exercise Without Jumping in Physically Inactive Older Adults
A study testing High-Volume Non-Jumping Plyometric Training and Low-Volume Non-Jumping Plyometric Training in people with Sedentary Behavior / Physical Inactivity and Aging, run by University of Americas - Chili.
Trial summary
The goal of this clinical trial is to investigate whether different amounts of plyometric exercise without jumping can improve lower-limb muscle strength, power, and muscle and tendon mechanical properties in sedentary and/or physically inactive older adults. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 60 to 80 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Sedentary Behavior / Physical Inactivity, Aging
- What is being tested?
- High-Volume Non-Jumping Plyometric Training and Low-Volume Non-Jumping Plyometric Training
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 54 participants
- Where
- No sites listed yet
- Study dates
- 1 Dec 2026to 31 Mar 2027
- Phase
- Interventional
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 60 to 80 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Adults aged 60 to 80 years.
- Sedentary and/or physically inactive individuals, defined as engaging in less than 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per week and/or spending more than 8 hours per day in sedentary activities.
- Participation in fewer than two muscle-strengthening exercise sessions per week.
- Body mass index below 30 kg/m².
- Ability to safely perform lower-limb exercises involving rapid muscle contractions without jumping.
- Willingness to participate in the study and provide written informed consent.
Who cannot join
- Musculoskeletal injuries affecting the lower limbs within the previous three months.
- History of lower-limb surgery within the previous two years.
- Cardiovascular diseases or other medical conditions that could compromise participant safety during exercise or physical assessments.
- Any physical or medical limitation that prevents the safe execution of the exercise protocol or functional assessments.
Trial locations and contacts
No sites are listed yet. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
About this study
Official title: Dose-Response Effects of Non-Jumping Plyometric Training on Functional Strength, Power, and Musculotendinous Viscoelastic Properties in Sedentary and/or Physically Inactive Older Adults: Toward Precision Exercise Prescription
The goal of this clinical trial is to investigate whether different amounts of plyometric exercise without jumping can improve lower-limb muscle strength, power, and muscle and tendon mechanical properties in sedentary and/or physically inactive older adults.
The main questions it aims to answer are:
Read more
Does performing a higher amount of plyometric exercise without jumping lead to greater improvements in functional muscle strength and power than performing a lower amount?
Do different amounts of exercise produce different changes in the mechanical properties of muscles and tendons?
Researchers will compare three groups: a high-volume exercise group, a low-volume exercise group, and a control group that will not receive the exercise intervention. This comparison will help determine how the amount of exercise influences physical function and muscle and tendon properties.
Participants will:
Be randomly assigned to one of the three groups.
Complete physical assessments before and after the eight-week study period, including tests of lower-limb strength, power, and muscle and tendon mechanical properties.
If assigned to an exercise group, participate in supervised plyometric exercise sessions without jumping twice a week for eight weeks.
If assigned to the control group, continue their usual daily activities without participating in the exercise program during the study.
Read the detailed description
The goal of this clinical trial is to investigate whether different amounts of plyometric exercise without jumping can improve lower-limb muscle strength, power, and muscle and tendon mechanical properties in sedentary and/or physically inactive older adults.
The main questions it aims to answer are:
- Does performing a higher amount of plyometric exercise without jumping lead to greater improvements in functional muscle strength and power than performing a lower amount?
- Do different amounts of exercise produce different changes in the mechanical properties of muscles and tendons?
Researchers will compare three groups: a high-volume exercise group, a low-volume exercise group, and a control group that will not receive the exercise intervention. This comparison will help determine how the amount of exercise influences physical function and muscle and tendon properties.
Participants will:
- Be randomly assigned to one of the three groups.
- Complete physical assessments before and after the eight-week study period, including tests of lower-limb strength, power, and muscle and tendon mechanical properties.
- If assigned to an exercise group, participate in supervised plyometric exercise sessions without jumping twice a week for eight weeks.
- If assigned to the control group, continue their usual daily activities without participating in the exercise program during the study.
- Conditions
- Sedentary Behavior / Physical Inactivity, Aging
- Being tested
- High-Volume Non-Jumping Plyometric Training, Low-Volume Non-Jumping Plyometric Training
- Keywords
- Plyometric Exercise, Physical Conditioning, Human, Aged, Sedentary Behavior, Physical Functional Performance
- Medical subject headings
- Sedentary Behavior, Motor Activity
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
High-Volume Non-Jumping Plyometric TrainingBehavioural
Participants will complete a supervised non-jumping plyometric training program twice weekly for eight weeks (16 sessions). The intervention will consist of rapid eccentric-concentric lower-limb movements performed without an aerial phase, with a progressively increasing training volume of 60-90 repetitions per session. Exercises will be performed with maximal intended movement velocity during the concentric phase, according to each participant's functional capacity. Appropriate recovery intervals and professional supervision will be provided throughout the intervention.
Low-Volume Non-Jumping Plyometric TrainingBehavioural
Participants will complete a supervised non-jumping plyometric training program twice weekly for eight weeks (16 sessions). The intervention will involve the same exercises, movement characteristics, and intended exercise intensity as the high-volume group, but with a progressively increasing training volume of 30-45 repetitions per session. Exercises will be performed with maximal intended movement velocity during the concentric phase, according to each participant's functional capacity. Appropriate recovery intervals and professional supervision will be provided throughout the intervention.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| High-Volume Non-Jumping Plyometric Training | Experimental | Participants assigned to this group will complete a supervised non-jumping plyometric training program twice weekly for eight weeks. The intervention will involve rapid eccentric-concentric lower-limb movements performed without jumping, with a progressively increasing training volume ranging from 60 to 90 repetitions per session. Exercise intensity will be comparable to that of the low-volume group, allowing the effects of training volume to be investigated. Receives: Behavioral: High-Volume Non-Jumping Plyometric Training |
| Low-Volume Non-Jumping Plyometric Training | Experimental | Participants assigned to this group will complete a supervised non-jumping plyometric training program twice weekly for eight weeks. The intervention will involve the same exercises and comparable exercise intensity as the high-volume group, but with a lower training volume ranging from 30 to 45 repetitions per session. Training volume will progressively increase throughout the intervention period. Receives: Behavioral: Low-Volume Non-Jumping Plyometric Training |
| Non-Exercising Control Group | No intervention | Participants assigned to the control group will not receive the experimental exercise intervention during the eight-week study period. They will be instructed to maintain their usual daily activities and avoid initiating new structured exercise programs. Participants will undergo the same baseline and post-intervention assessments as those assigned to the experimental groups. |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Peak Functional Lower-Limb Force
Peak lower-limb force will be assessed using an electromechanical dynamometer (DynaSystem) during an instrumented sit-to-stand-to-sit task performed under isokinetic (15 cm/s) and isotonic (60% of body weight) conditions. Peak force will be normalized to body mass and expressed in N/kg. Changes from baseline to post-intervention will be compared between groups.
Measured: Baseline and post-intervention (Week 8).
Peak Functional Lower-Limb Power
Peak lower-limb power will be assessed using an electromechanical dynamometer (DynaSystem) during an instrumented sit-to-stand-to-sit task performed under isokinetic (15 cm/s) and isotonic (60% of body weight) conditions. Peak power will be normalized to body mass and expressed in W/kg. Changes from baseline to post-intervention will be compared between groups.
Measured: Baseline and post-intervention (Week 8).
Secondary outcomes (4)
Muscle Oscillation Frequency
Muscle oscillation frequency will be assessed using a handheld myotonometer (MyotonPRO) in the vastus medialis, vastus lateralis, and medial gastrocnemius muscles. Oscillation frequency, expressed in hertz (Hz), will be used as an indicator of muscle tone. Changes from baseline to post-intervention will be analyzed for each muscle.
Measured: Baseline and Week 8 (post-intervention)
Musculotendinous Stiffness
Musculotendinous stiffness will be assessed using a handheld myotonometer (MyotonPRO) in the vastus medialis, vastus lateralis, and medial gastrocnemius muscles, as well as the patellar and Achilles tendons. Stiffness will be expressed in newtons per meter (N/m). Changes from baseline to post-intervention will be analyzed separately for each anatomical structure.
Measured: Baseline and Week 8 (post-intervention)
Muscle Logarithmic Decrement
Muscle logarithmic decrement will be assessed using a handheld myotonometer (MyotonPRO) in the vastus medialis, vastus lateralis, and medial gastrocnemius muscles. This dimensionless parameter describes the damping of natural tissue oscillations and is used as an indicator of muscle elasticity. Changes from baseline to post-intervention will be analyzed for each muscle.
Measured: Baseline and Week 8 (post-intervention)
Muscle Relaxation Time
Muscle relaxation time will be assessed using a handheld myotonometer (MyotonPRO) in the vastus medialis, vastus lateralis, and medial gastrocnemius muscles. Relaxation time will be expressed in milliseconds (ms) and represents the time required for the tissue to recover its shape following mechanical deformation. Changes from baseline to post-intervention will be analyzed for each muscle.
Measured: Baseline and Week 8 (post-intervention)
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted23 Oct 2026
- Study start1 Dec 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion12 Mar 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion31 Mar 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (3)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Sedentary Behavior / Physical InactivityStudies 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
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Model description
- This study is a single-blind, three-arm, parallel-group randomized controlled trial. A total of 54 sedentary and/or physically inactive older adults aged 60-80 years will be randomly allocated in a 1:1:1 ratio to one of three groups: high-volume non-jumping plyometric training (60-90 repetitions per session), low-volume non-jumping plyometric training (30-45 repetitions per session), or a non-exercising control group. Both intervention groups will complete two supervised training sessions per week for eight weeks, with progressive increases in exercise volume. The control group will maintain their usual daily activities. All participants will undergo assessments before and after the intervention. Outcome assessors will be blinded to group allocation.
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 54 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Americas - Chili
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Maximiliano Torres-Banduc, University of Americas - Chili
- Investigators
- Maximiliano A. Torres, PhD, Principal investigator, University of Americas - Chili
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07891000
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- PIR2026_32
- Other IDs
- PIR2026_32
- Acronym
- NJPT-OLDER
- Status last verified
- Oct 2026
- First submitted
- 14 Oct 2026
- Last updated
- 23 Oct 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No: Individual participant data will not be shared with external researchers to protect participant confidentiality and privacy. Study findings will be disseminated through scientific publications and presentations using aggregated data that do not permit individual identification.
Publications
Torres-Banduc M, Chirosa-Rios I, Chirosa-Rios L, Jerez-Mayorga D. Impact of Starting Knee Flexion Angle on Muscle Activity and Performance during Plyometrics without Jumping. Sensors (Basel). 2023 Dec 20;24(1):44. doi: 10.3390/s24010044.
PubMed 38202906Vetrovsky T, Steffl M, Stastny P, Tufano JJ. The Efficacy and Safety of Lower-Limb Plyometric Training in Older Adults: A Systematic Review. Sports Med. 2019 Jan;49(1):113-131. doi: 10.1007/s40279-018-1018-x.
PubMed 30387072El Hadouchi M, Kiers H, de Vries R, Veenhof C, van Dieen J. Effectiveness of power training compared to strength training in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Eur Rev Aging Phys Act. 2022 Aug 11;19(1):18. doi: 10.1186/s11556-022-00297-x.
PubMed 35953775