Neuromuscular Fatigability in Individuals With Heart Failure

Brief summary The aims of this project are to 1) characterise muscle fatigue in individuals with chronic heart failure during exercise involving a smaller and larger muscle mass (Part I), 2) to determine the effect of nitrate supplementation on muscle fatigue during large muscle mass exercise in individuals with chronic heart failure (Part II), 3) understand the impact of exercise intolerance on quality of life in individuals with chronic heart failure (Part III). The main questions it aims to answer are: * Is muscle fatigue attenuated during exercise engaging a smaller vs larger muscle mass in individuals with chronic heart failure owing to lower central cardiopulmonary constraints? * Can supplementation with nitrate-rich beetroot juice reduce muscle fatigue and/or accelerate post-exercise recovery of muscle function in response to whole body exercise in individuals with heart failure? * What impact does exercise intolerance have on the lives of individuals with chronic heart failure? For Part I, researchers will compare muscle fatigue during single- and double-leg incremental cycling in individuals with chronic heart failure. For Part II, researchers will compare muscle fatigue in individuals with chronic heart failure during double-leg incremental cycling following a period of beetroot juice supplementation containing nitrate, or with a placebo drink consisting of beetroot juice with nitrate extracted. For Part III, semi-structured interviews will be conducted to investigate the symptoms associated with performing physical activity and on the impact of exercise intolerance on quality of life in individuals with chronic heart failure.

NCT Number	NCT06551012
Lead Sponsor	Newcastle University
Conditions	Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction
Enrollment	28 participants
Start Date	2025-05-01
Primary Completion	2027-01-01 (estimated)
Study Completion	2027-04-01 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2025-03-25