IMAT Quality in Aging Study: Calf Muscle Strengthening for Older Adults

This study is looking at how calf muscle strengthening exercises might improve muscle health in older adults. It will test if fat within the muscle (intramuscular adipose tissue or IMAT) shows less damage and inflammation after a 12-week exercise program. Sixteen adults, aged 65-80, will participate. You would do calf muscle strengthening exercises three times a week via Zoom. Researchers will collect muscle biopsies (small tissue samples) and use imaging scans to see changes in your calf muscles before and after the intervention. The goal is to see if these exercises can reduce signs of damage and inflammation in muscle tissue as we age. This study is currently unclear on its recruitment status.

Study design: This is an interventional study with 16 participants. It involves a calf muscle strengthening program.
What's involved: You would attend virtual exercise sessions 3 times per week for 12 weeks. This includes in-person screening, two muscle biopsies, and CT scans.
Compensation: Not stated in the trial record.
Follow-up: Your participation will be completed one week after the 12-week exercise program, following final strength measures, CT, and biopsy.

AI-generated from the public study record. Only the study team can confirm whether you're eligible — confirm details with them before making decisions.

IMAT Quality in Aging

Not Yet Recruiting

NAAges 65–80InterventionalTreatment

Washington University School of Medicine

~16 participants

Updated 2026-08-18 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What's tested:Calf muscle strengthening

At a glance

Recruiting sites

0 of 1 listed site is recruiting right now

RecruitingSuspended, closed, or not yet open

What they're measuring

Biopsy: Senescent cell density

Measured over Baseline and post-intervention (approximately 14 weeks after baseline)

Conditions

Aging

NCT07506681

Where you'd take part

This study runs at 1 site. They're the same protocol — you choose where, and that choice sets who your contact draft is addressed to.

Washington University
St Louis, Missouristudy coordinator listed

Sites open and close at different times, so the status above is per site — it can differ from the study's overall status.

Study leadership

Gretchen Meyer, PhD · PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR · Washington University School of Medicine

Who to contact

Mary Hastings, PT, DPT, MSCI, ATC

[email protected]

1 314-286-1433

Email the study team

Opens a ready-to-send draft in your own email app — review before sending.

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Eligibility criteria

Inclusion

Rapid Assessment of Physical Activity scores between 3 and 5

Able to don and doff the weighted vest

Access to a smart phone and ability to navigate the phone to enter and manage a zoom intervention

Commitment and availability to attend a virtual 40-minute intervention 3x per week for 12 weeks

Exclusion

Contraindications to radiation exposure (e.g. Women who are pregnant, previous high radiation exposure)

Bleeding disorders

Lower extremity trauma/surgery/injury or neuropathy that would impact muscle structure and function or ability to complete exercise intervention

Diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, peripheral vascular disease, cancer, stage 4 hypertension, anemia, connective tissue disorder

Neurological disorder (e.g. stroke, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury)

Medications: insulin, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP1) agonists, sex hormone replacement therapy, chronic NSAIDs, anticoagulation therapy, cholesterol lowering medications such as statins

Unable to safely perform the progressive resistance exercise (e.g. Vestibular or balance issues that make performing the intervention unsafe, severe osteoporosis or general fragility that limits weighted vest tolerance)

What this trial measures

Biopsy: Senescent cell densityBaseline and post-intervention (approximately 14 weeks after baseline)
Senescent cells will be identified by expression of β-galactosidase (b-gal) and p16 on histological sections from muscle biopsies. B-gal and p16 positive cells will be counted and normalized to the histological region of interest to obtain a measure of density (# senescent cells / mm\^2).

Trialytics