Can short bursts of running help older adults stay strong and steady?
NCT ID NCT07817914
First seen Sep 14, 2026 · Last updated Sep 15, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
Researchers are testing a four-week exercise program for adults aged 60 to 80. Participants run or walk in place for one-minute bursts, rest for 20 seconds, and use gymnastic sticks to control how much weight goes through their legs. The study checks whether the program is practical and safe, and measures changes in body composition, fitness, muscle strength, pain, and fall risk.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- a self-paced interval running and walking program using gymnastic sticks for support
- What this could lead to
- If the program proves practical and safe, it could inform larger studies on exercise for older adults. It may also help researchers design routines that improve fitness and reduce fall risk.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small pilot study with 30 participants, so it cannot show whether the program works. Some older adults may find the exercises too hard or experience muscle soreness or pain.
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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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30 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Oct 2024
- Finished
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Mar 2025
- 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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60 to 80 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
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: * age between 60-80 years * written consent to participate in the study Exclusion Criteria: * unstable angina * circulatory and respiratory failure * implanted metal materials (e.g. defibrillator, pacemaker, stent) * a mental disorder that makes it difficult to cooperate with medical personnel * inability to safely perform exercise at an exertion corresponding to rating of perceived exertion (RPE) ≥ 14 on the 6-20 Borg scale
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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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Wielospecjalistyczny Szpital Samodzielny Publiczny Zakład Opieki Zdrowotnej w Nowej Soli
Nowa Sól, Lubusz Voivodeship, 67-100, Poland
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