Clinical trial · Interventional
Effect of Heavy-load Resistance Training During Chemotherapy on Muscle Cellular Outcomes
Effects of Heavy-load Resistance Training During (Neo-)Adjuvant Chemotherapy on Muscle Cellular Outcomes in Women With Breast Cancer
- Source
- ClinicalTrials.gov
- Retrieved
- Sep 8, 2026
- Layer
- normalized (units and labels harmonized; values unchanged)
- Run
- ING-CLINICALTRIALS-20260908-000001
Summary
Brief summary (as posted)
(Neo-)adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer is known to have a negative impact on muscle tissue resulting in reduced aerobic fitness, skeletal muscle mass and strength. Physical exercise during treatment may counteract some of these negative effects. However, the effects of resistance training alone have never been explored. The present study aims to investigate if heavy-load resistance training during (neo-)adjuvant chemotherapy counteracts negative effects on skeletal muscle in women diagnosed with breast cancer. The hypothesis is that (neo-)adjuvant treatment with chemotherapy will reduce muscle fiber size, impair mitochondrial function and increase indicators of cellular stress and that resistance training during treatment will counteract these negative effects. Fifty women recently diagnosed with breast cancer scheduled to start (neo-)adjuvant chemotherapy will be randomized to either an intervention group or a control group. The intervention group will perform supervised heavy-load resistance training twice a week over the course of chemotherapy (approximately 16-weeks) whereas the control group will be encouraged to continue with their usual activities. To increase interest in participation, controls will be invited to a 2-week introduction to the same resistance-training program as the intervention group following completion of chemotherapy. Muscle biopsies from m. vastus lateralis will be collected before the first cycle of chemotherapy, after chemotherapy, and 6 months later (6-month follow-up) for assessment of muscle cellular outcomes. Results from this intervention will provide further knowledge on how chemotherapy affects muscle tissue and how resistance training may counteract immediate and long-term treatment side effects. Results from this intervention will also contribute with knowledge about how to improve exercise programs that are effective for women undergoing chemotherapy against breast cancer.
Conditions
Conditions (1)
Free-text conditions as registered, with the CancerIndex entity they were reconciled to and the match type.
| Condition (as posted) | Mapped entity | Match | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breast Cancer Female | Breast Neoplasm | ONTOLOGY_EXACT | 0.90 |
Interventions
Interventions (2)
| Intervention | Type | Mapped drug | Match |
|---|---|---|---|
| Control | Other | — | UNRESOLVED |
| Heavy-load resistance training | Other | — | UNRESOLVED |
Design
Arms and outcomes
Arms (2)
- type
- EXPERIMENTAL
- label
- Intervention group
- description
- Participants will receive supervised heavy-load resistance training twice a week during treatment with chemotherapy (approximately 16-weeks). After end of chemotherapy, participants will be encouraged to continue the training program and are provided with 12-month membership at a local gym.
- interventionNames
- Other: Heavy-load resistance training
- type
- ACTIVE_COMPARATOR
- label
- Control group
- description
- Participants will be encouraged to continue with their usual activities during chemotherapy and not start resistance training (approximately 16-weeks). After end of chemotherapy participants will be offered to attend a 2-week introduction to the strength-training program and provided with a 12-month membership at a local gym.
- interventionNames
- Other: Control
Primary outcomes (1)
Eligibility
Eligibility (as posted)
- Sex
- Female
- Minimum age
- 18 Years
Show eligibility criteria text
Inclusion Criteria: * women diagnosed with stage I-III breast cancer * literate in Swedish * scheduled to undergo (neo-)adjuvant chemotherapy with a combination of taxanes and anthracyclines or only one of these treatments Exclusion Criteria: * unable to perform basic activities of daily living * cognitive disorders or severe emotional instability * other disabling comorbidities that might hamper physical training (e.g. severe heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, orthopedic conditions, and neurological disorders)
References
Publications (4)
- DERIVEDErnst M, Wagner C, Oeser A, Messer S, Wender A, Cryns N, Brockelmann PJ, Holtkamp U, Baumann FT, Wiskemann J, Monsef I, Scherer RW, Mishra SI, Skoetz N. Resistance training for fatigue in people with cancer. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2024 Nov 28;11(11):CD015518. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD015518. PMID 39606939
- DERIVEDVikmoen O, Strandberg E, Svindland KV, Henriksson A, Mazzoni AS, Johansson B, Jonsson J, Karakatsanis A, Anneback M, Kudren D, Lindman H, Warnberg F, Berntsen S, Demmelmaier I, Nordin K, Raastad T. Effects of heavy-load strength training during (neo-)adjuvant chemotherapy on muscle strength, muscle fiber size, myonuclei, and satellite cells in women with breast cancer. FASEB J. 2024 Jul 15;38(13):e23784. doi: 10.1096/fj.202400634R. PMID 38953567
- DERIVEDMazzoni AS, Strandberg E, Borjeson S, Sjovall K, Berntsen S, Demmelmaier I, Nordin K. Reallocating sedentary time to physical activity: effects on fatigue and quality of life in patients with breast cancer in the Phys-Can project. Support Care Cancer. 2023 Feb 4;31(2):151. doi: 10.1007/s00520-023-07614-9. PMID 36738358
- DERIVEDStrandberg E, Vassbakk-Svindland K, Henriksson A, Johansson B, Vikmoen O, Kudren D, Schauer T, Lindman H, Warnberg F, Berntsen S, Demmelmaier I, Nordin K, Raastad T. Effects of heavy-load resistance training during (neo-)adjuvant chemotherapy on muscle cellular outcomes in women with breast cancer. Medicine (Baltimore). 2021 Mar 12;100(10):e24960. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000024960. PMID 33725859