Can a phone app replace the gym for seniors with muscle loss?
NCT ID NCT07319377
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Sep 11, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
This study tests a digital therapeutic device (exoDTx) – a mobile app that guides personalized resistance exercises at home – to see if it can improve muscle strength in people with sarcopenia (age-related muscle loss). 130 participants will either use the app for 12 weeks or receive standard educational materials. The main goal is to measure changes in knee extension strength.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- digital therapeutic device (exoDTx) – a mobile app guiding personalized resistance exercises at home
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a convenient, non-drug way to improve muscle strength in older adults with sarcopenia.
- What could go wrong
- This is a relatively small trial (130 people) and the device is still being tested. Results may not apply to everyone, and the app may not be as effective as supervised exercise.
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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About 130 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Nov 2025
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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A company
The lead sponsor is a pharmaceutical, biotech, or medical-device company.
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 85 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 * Individuals diagnosed with sarcopenia according to both the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP) criteria and the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia 2019 (AWGS 2019) criteria * Individuals with reduced muscle strength, defined as at least one of the following: * Handgrip strength \< 28 kg for men or \< 18 kg for women * Five-times Sit-to-Stand Test time \> 12 seconds without arm support * Individuals with reduced muscle mass, defined as at least one of the following: * Skeletal Muscle Mass Index (SMI) \< 7.0 kg/m² for men or \< 5.4 kg/m² for women measured by DXA * Skeletal Muscle Mass Index (SMI) \< 7.0 kg/m² for men or \< 5.7 kg/m² for women measured by BIA * Individuals able to independently perform sit-to-stand movements * Individuals with sufficient physical and cognitive capacity to participate in the exercise program * Individuals able and willing to provide written informed consent * Individuals able to operate a mobile phone independently or with assistance from a caregiver Exclusion Criteria * Individuals with cognitive impairment, defined as a Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score \< 20, or those unable to participate due to cognitive decline * Individuals with an implanted cardiac pacemaker or other implanted electronic medical device * Individuals with uncontrolled cardiovascular disease despite appropriate medical management * Individuals who have undergone lower-limb surgery within the past 6 months and are unable to ambulate independently * Individuals with moderate-to-severe musculoskeletal pain or functional limitations that interfere with objective functional assessments * Individuals with severe obesity, defined as a body mass index (BMI) \> 50 kg/m² * Individuals currently receiving active cancer treatment or experiencing severe systemic frailty * Individuals with hemiplegia that prevents participation in the prescribed exercise program * Individuals who are anticipated by the investigator to be unable to complete the study procedures or follow-up assessments * Individuals unable to understand or comply with study instructions provided in Korean * Individuals considered unsuitable for study participation at the discretion of the investigator for any other reason
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
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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Bucheon St. Mary's Hospital
Bucheon-si, South Korea
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St.Vincent's hospital
Suwon, South Korea
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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