Can exercise rewind the aging clock? a new trial investigates
NCT ID NCT07799103
First seen Sep 02, 2026 · Last updated Sep 03, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This trial tests whether a six-month program of supervised high-intensity interval training can influence biological aging in adults aged 50 to 70. Researchers measure DNA methylation patterns in blood, which serve as epigenetic clocks, to see if exercise volume correlates with changes in biological age. Participants also undergo tests of fitness, heart function, body composition, and gut microbiome to explore broader effects. The goal is to understand if regular intense exercise might slow the aging process at a cellular level.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Supervised high-intensity interval training (HIIT) performed three times weekly for six months
- What this could lead to
- If exercise volume links to slower biological aging, it could support exercise as a way to promote healthier aging in older adults.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage study without a control group, so results may not prove cause and effect. The intervention requires significant commitment, and individual responses can vary.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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74 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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May 2022
- Finished
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Jun 2024
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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50 to 70 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Adults aged 50-70 years * Legal capacity to provide informed consent * Successful completion of a questionnaire-based and instrumental medical screening, confirming eligibility for physical exercise * Physical activity level between 1 and 5 METs/day, estimated based on a questionnaire Exclusion Criteria: * Cardiovascular diseases that contraindicate physical exercise, including the presence of a pacemaker * Musculoskeletal conditions that contraindicate physical exercise * Acute or chronic kidney disease * Acute or chronic liver disease * Acute or chronic gastrointestinal disease * Acute or chronic infectious diseases or febrile conditions * Metabolic disorders or endocrine diseases * Bleeding disorders or coagulation abnormalities * Malignant diseases * Autoimmune diseases * Asthma * Psychiatric or mental disorders * Limited legal capacity or impaired ability to communicate * Chronic alcohol consumption
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As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Research Center for Molecular Exercise Science, Hungarian University of Sports Science, Alkotás st. 42-48
Budapest, Pest County, 1123, Hungary