Research summary · Training and performance
Training at a personal daily strength peak offered no clear adaptation advantage
A trial randomized 108 adults aged 60–80 to training at their individually measured peak or trough strength time, or to usual activity. The 12-week programme combined two weekly strength sessions with one cycling session; 93 participants entered outcome analyses.
- Publication year
- 2026
- First published online
- Publication type
- Three-arm randomized controlled trial
- Journal
- Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle
- Population / context
- Resistance training · Older adults · Exercise timing
What the publication reports
Peak-time training was not demonstrably superior to trough-time training for mid-thigh pull strength, grip strength or appendicular lean mass. The peak-versus-trough strength difference was 0.06 N/kg (95% CI −0.76–0.88). No intervention-related serious adverse events were reported.
Limits and interpretation
This single-centre study involved healthy older adults, not competitive athletes. Attrition and unequal sex distributions add uncertainty. Results address long-term adaptations to this programme, not whether acute performance changes across the day.
Read the source
Consult the original record for the full author list, methods, references, funding and competing-interest disclosures.
Effects of Daily Rhythm-Aligned Training on Skeletal Muscle Adaptation in Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Original publication / indexed recordPMID: 42791208DOI: 10.1002/jcsm.70390Full text at the sourceReader discussion
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