Transfer Effects of Stationary Bicycle Perturbation Training on Older Adults' Cycling Skills

Summary

The Israeli research group of this trial has developed the Perturbation Stationary Bicycle Robotics (PerStBiRo) system that can challenge balance while sitting. With this system, unexpected perturbations can be provided under controlled and safe conditions. Within the BiPerAge-project it will be evaluated if 20 training sessions (20 minutes each) on the PerStBiRo system will lead to transfer effects on safe cycling skills of community-dwelling older adults (age 65 years and older). The ability to cycle safely will be tested prior and after the training period using a cycling course, which consists of variant tasks requiring motor and cognitive skills.

Conditions

• Older Adults
• Exercise Training
• Bicycling

Interventions

OTHER

TSBR

The intervention consists of 20 training sessions on the PerStBiRo system (\~ twice a week within 3 months period). Each session lasts for 20 minutes and includes three parts: stage 1) warm up, stage 2) main exercise and stage 3) cool down. Stage 1 contains 3 minutes of self-paced pedalling with the same bicycle resistance. At Stage 2, the main exercise, all participants will perform a 15-minute hands-free cycling training on the PerStBiRo system with a pulse watch to maintain moderate-intensity training, corresponding to 64-76% of the predicted maximal heart rate (Borg scale 12-14), including cognitive tasks projected at a screen in front of the participant. Stage 3 includes the cool down with 2 minutes of self-paced pedalling without bicycle resistance and cognitive tasks. During the training sessions, all participants will wear a loose safety harness that can arrest falling using the PerStBiRo system, but still allow comfortable pedalling.

OTHER

PerTSBR

Participants of the intervention group will receive a combination of lateral and medial tilting unannounced perturbations during stage 2 of the TSBR training. This will be provided by roll and pitch angles (tilt) balance perturbations that aim to evoke trunk and arm balance recovery responses.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

  collaborator OTHER

• University of Erlangen-Nürnberg Medical School

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Robert Kob, PhD · Institute for Biomedicine of Aging, Friederich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

OTHER

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

65 Years

Max Age

100 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2025-03-12

Primary Completion

2027-02-01

Completion

2027-03-31

Countries

• Germany
• Israel

Study Locations