Clinical Research Directory

The Restorative Role of Daytime Naps in Mentally Fatigued Endurance Athletes

This randomized, counterbalanced crossover study investigated whether a 30-minute daytime nap can mitigate the effects of experimentally induced mental fatigue in amateur master endurance athletes. Male athletes completed two home-based experimental sessions separated by one week: a mental fatigue condition, in which a 30-minute cognitively demanding task battery preceded the nap, and a control condition, in which participants took only the nap. Sleep parameters during the nap were monitored by wrist actigraphy, and perceived sleep quality was assessed after awakening. Subjective sleepiness, perceived mental fatigue, and cognitive performance were evaluated before the nap, immediately after the nap, and/or 30 minutes after the nap. The study examined whether mental fatigue influenced nap characteristics and whether the nap improved recovery-related outcomes. The main outcomes included actigraphy-derived nap parameters, perceived sleep quality, sleepiness assessed with the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale, perceived mental fatigue assessed using a visual analogue scale, and cognitive performance assessed with a Flanker task.

Comparison of Training Intensity Distribution Models in Recreational Distance Runners

This study aims to compare the effects of three different training intensity distribution (TID) models-polarized, threshold, and pyramidal-on physiological and performance adaptations in recreational distance runners. Twenty-four participants will be assigned to one of the three training interventions and will complete an 8-week structured running program based on the respective TID approach. The primary objective is to determine whether different TID models elicit distinct changes in key physiological markers and endurance performance. The study seeks to answer whether a specific intensity distribution strategy provides superior adaptations in recreational runners when training is prescribed over a controlled intervention period.

Influence of Training Session Duration on Improvements in Physiological Resilience to Exercise

During prolonged endurance exercise, certain physiological variables deteriorate depending on the duration of the exercise. Physiological resilience has therefore been defined as the ability to resist these changes and appears to be an important performance factor in endurance sports. For example, most studies in this field have investigated changes in cycling power output associated with the first ventilatory threshold (VT1), a marker of an individual's endurance capacity, after prolonged endurance exercise. To date, only two studies have examined the effects of training on resilience. The first compared the effectiveness of two training programs, one with low-intensity sessions and the other with high-intensity sessions, with no difference between the conditions. The second study showed that incorporating strength training into a running training program was more effective at improving resilience than running alone. However, the influence of training session duration on resilience remains unknown. Only one observational study has shown that in a group of runners of similar ability, those who were used to doing long sessions had better resilience than those who only did short sessions.

Effects of Food Intake Sequence on Substrate Utilisation and Endurance Performance

The goal of this clinical trial is to understand how consuming a pre-exercise meal in different food intake sequences affects substrate utilisation and endurance exercise performance in healthy trained athletes. Specifically, the main questions it aims to answer are: * Does consuming the pre-exercise meal in different food intake sequences alter the whole-body utilisation of fat and CHO at rest and during prolonged exercise at moderate to heavy intensities? * Does consuming the pre-execise meal in different food intake sequences alter time-trial performance? * Does consuming the pre-exercise meal in different food intake sequences alter other metabolic and physiological responses before, during or after exercise (i.e., blood glucose, blood lactate, heart rate (HR), ratings of perceived exertion (RPE), appetite)? To address these questions, researchers will compare eating the dietary sources of rapidly absorbed CHO at the end (CHO-last meal pattern) or at the start (CHO-first meal pattern) of a standardised pre-exercise meal, in a randomised, counterbalanced, crossover design. Two hours after starting the pre-exercise meal, participants will perform a 60-min submaximal test on a cycling ergometer at two different intensities (30 min at 90% of the ventilatory threshold (VT) 1 and 30 min at 50% VT1-VT2), followed by a 10-km cycling time trial (TT). In the screening visit participants will: * Be screened for cardiometabolic conditions * Perform an 8-12-min graded exercise test to determine their maximal pulmonary oxygen uptake (VO2max) and non-invasive submaximal anchors of performance (VT 1 and VT 2) * Be familiarised to the experimental procedures In experimental visits participants will: * Follow guidelines pertaining to dietary intake, exercise and sleep in the previous 24 hours * Have a standardised test meal in either the CHO-last or CHO-first food intake sequence * Have 3 drops of capillary blood (0,9 µL in total) collected to measure glucose and lactate pre-meal, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90 and 120 min post-meal, every 15 min during submaximal exercise and post-TT * Breathe into an indirect calorimetry mask for 5 min pre-meal, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90 and 120 min post-meal, every 15 min during submaximal exercise and post-TT * Wear a HR monitor continuously during submaximal exercise and the TT * Rate their appetite on visual analogue scales pre-meal, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90 and 120 min post-meal, and 30 min post-TT * Rate their perceived exertion on RPE scales every 15 min during submaximal exercise, post-TT and 30 min post-TT. Data will be compared within-participant between food intake sequences using linear mixed-effects models with random intercepts, to account for repeated measurements, interindividual variability, and potential missing data.

Combined tDCS and Pneumatic Compression for Recovery After a 10K Run

This study will examine how two recovery methods-pneumatic compression (PC) applied to the legs and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) applied to the head-help athletes recover after a 10-kilometer (10K) run. It also aims to find out which methods may help master athletes recover faster, maintain performance, and reduce the risk of injury. Men aged 40-55 who are trained long-distance runners can participate, provided they do not have medical conditions that prevent safe exercise or use of the recovery methods. Participants will run 10K and then receive one of the following interventions in a randomized order: tDCS, PC, tDCS + PC, or no intervention (control). Each participant will experience all conditions, with a one-week break between sessions. Measurements will be taken before the run, immediately after, and after the intervention, including heart rate variability, cognitive tests (Stroop Test), vertical jump, and maximal voluntary muscle contraction, during which muscle activity will be recorded using electromyography (EMG). Data will be analyzed to compare how each intervention affects recovery, including physical performance, cognitive function, and psychological state. The study will show which methods help master runners recover faster and more effectively, provide practical strategies to improve performance and reduce injury risk, and offer information on the separate and combined effects of tDCS and PC on recovery, which could help design age-specific recovery strategies for endurance athletes.

Dose-Response Impact of Glucosyl-Hesperidin (CitraPeak) on Exercise Performance, Blood Flow, Stress, Cognition, and Other Perceptual Indicators

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the dose-dependent effects of glucosyl-hesperidin (CITRAPEAK) supplementation on exercise performance, recovery indicators, blood flow, cognitive function, mood, sleep, and fuel utilization in recreationally active adults.