Effects of Microcurrent Treatment With and Without Resistance Exercises

Summary

* Aim: to analyse the effects of microcurrent treatment alone, and combined with a resistance exercise programme, on muscle strength, body composition and physical functional capacity in middle-aged adults.
* Methods

* Randomised, balanced, double-blind parallel-group between-participants design.
* Participants - non-regularly trained adults (people who do not engage regularly in physical sessions), aged 40 to 65 years old.
* All participants will be invited to take part in a 6-week supervised resistance training programme that will be combined with microcurrent (MC) or sham (SH) intervention. The participants who do not accept to undergo the resistance training programme will integrate a non-exercise group involving a 6-week intervention period using the microcurrent (MC) or the sham (SH) device. The devices will be provided by Arc4Health (ARC Microtech Ltd, UK; https://arcmicrotech.com/arc4health/). The device Arc4Health has regulatory approval as a Class IIa medical device in the areas of pain management and tissue repair.

The following will be analysed:

1. Microcurrent alone (MC)
2. Microcurrent with exercise (MC + RT)
3. Sham alone (SH)
4. Sham with exercise (SH + RT)

* The participants who agree to take part in the training programme will have 2 sessions a week for a period of 6 weeks. The training programme involves elastic bands and is designed to increase strength and muscle mass.
* Measurements of body composition (via plethysmography BodPod), strength, functional capacity, muscular structure (via non-invasive ultrasound), and immunological blood markers will be undertaken at baseline and after the 6-week intervention period.

Conditions

• Sarcopenia
• Ageing Well

Interventions

OTHER

Microcurrent treatment with resistance exercise programme

This intervention will allow us to explore the effects of microcurrent added to resistance exercise.

OTHER

Resistance exercise programme

This intervention works as a control group for the participants undergoing the exercise programme.

OTHER

Microcurrent treatment

This intervention will allow us to explore the effects of microcurrent alone.

OTHER

No treatment

This intervention works as a control group for the participants who are not taking part into the exercise programme.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Greenwich

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Fernando Naclerio, PhD · University of Greenwich

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Masking

TRIPLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

40 Years

Max Age

65 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2022-05-01

Primary Completion

2024-07-30

Completion

2024-08-31

Countries

• United Kingdom

Study Locations