Truls Raastad

Head of Department Department of Physical Performance

Email: trulsr@nih.no
Phone: +47 23 26 23 28
Mobile phone: +47 91 36 88 96

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Background and experience

PhD (2001) on the topic “Recovery after and adaptations to strength training”.

Works as a part time consultant for the department of Sports Nutrition at the The Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of Sport.

Overview of publications in Researchgate

Areas of responsibility

Professor in exercise physiology and head of the research group called “The muscle group”, which mainly focus on muscular adaptations to training with special interest in strength training and recovery after exercise.

Teaching

Human physiology, exercise physiology, physical acitivity, nutrition, sports physiology.

Academic responsibility for "Sports nutrition" (THP102).

Research

Exercise physiology, sports nutrition, muscle physiology, sport science, strength training, recovery, Football/soccer, muscular adaptation to training

Projects

Physical performance, training load, and growth and maturation in adolescent team sport athletes

Strandberg, Emelie; Vikmoen, Olav; Svindland, Karianne Vassbakk; Scheie, Atle Wendel; Ødemark, Hege Nymo & Henriksson, Anna [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2026). The Effect of Strength Training During Chemotherapy in Women With Breast Cancer on Serum Cytokine Concentrations and Skeletal Muscle Autophagy-Related Proteins. European Journal of Sport Science (EJSS). ISSN 1746-1391. 26(7). doi: 10.1002/ejsc.70213. Full text in Research Archive Show summary
To evaluate whether strength training during chemotherapy alters (1) serum cytokines and (2) skeletal muscle autophagy- and heat-shock-related proteins in women with breast cancer. Exploratory analyses assessed associations between changes in physiological outcomes (muscle strength, cardiorespiratory fitness, and capillary density) and biomarker responses, and among cytokine changes. Women with breast cancer were randomized to strength training (n = 23) or usual care (n = 17). The training group completed supervised strength training twice weekly during chemotherapy; usual care maintained habitual physical activity. Assessments were performed pre-chemotherapy (T0) and post-chemotherapy/intervention (T1). Serum cytokines (IFN-γ, IL-1RA, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-17, MCP-1, TNF-α) were quantified, and muscle biopsies were analyzed for autophagy- and heat-shock-related proteins. In the strength training group, mean ± SD IL-6 increased from 1.21 ± 0.47 to 1.69 ± 0.71 pg/mL and IL-17 from 1.24 ± 0.25 to 2.18 ± 0.87 pg/mL. IFN-γ also increased in the training group (14.4 ± 8.6 to 28.8 ± 17.3 pg/mL), however, the group×time interaction was not statistically significant. In the usual care group, IL-6 and IL-17 decreased. No changes were observed in other cytokines or in autophagy- or heat-shock-related proteins. Exploratory analyses showed no associations between changes in strength and autophagy proteins, cardiorespiratory fitness and cytokines, or capillary density and cytokines. Strength training during chemotherapy did not alter selected skeletal muscle autophagy- or heat-shock-related proteins, despite group differences in IL-6 and IL-17 over time. The clinical and mechanistic significance of these cytokine shifts remains uncertain and should be evaluated in larger studies with additional time points and complementary immune and muscle outcomes.
Solhaug, E. M.; Ødemark, Hege Nymo; Raastad, Truls; Vikmoen, Olav & Jonvik, Kristin Lundanes (2026). Poor skeleton in the peloton: High prevalence of low bone mineral density and suboptimal vitamin D status in elite male cyclists. Science & sports. ISSN 0765-1597. 41(5-6), p. 463–469. doi: 10.1016/j.scispo.2026.01.012. Full text in Research Archive
Johansen, Sara Hassing; Edvardsen, Elisabeth; Raastad, Truls; Ruud, Ellen; Deng, Wei Hai & Bratteteig, Mari [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2026). Associations Between Physical Fitness and Fatigue in Adolescent Childhood Cancer Survivors: The PACCS Study. Pediatric Blood & Cancer. ISSN 1545-5009. doi: 10.1002/1545-5017.70478. Full text in Research Archive
Roberts, Llion A.; Pileggi, Chantal A.; Zeng, Nina; Figueiredo, Vandre C.; Markworth, James F. & Raastad, Truls [Show all 11 contributors for this article] (2026). Effects of cold water immersion versus active recovery on oxidative stress, redox gene expression and mitochondrial adaptations after strength training. Experimental Physiology. ISSN 0958-0670. p. 1–19. doi: 10.1113/EP093660. Full text in Research Archive
Alcaraz, Pedro E.; Blazevich, Anthony J.; Freitas, Tomás T.; Marín-Cascales, Elena & Raastad, Truls (2026). Strength and Conditioning Society (SCS) 8th Annual Meeting, Oslo, Norway, 2025. Sports. 14(5). doi: 10.3390/sports14050199. Full text in Research Archive
Davids, Charlie J.; Raastad, Truls; Geneau, Mary C.; James, Lachlan P.; Lichtwark, Glen & Coombes, Jeff S. [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2026). Decrements in Neuromuscular Function Are Reduced Following Low-Load Continuous Blood Flow Restriction Exercise Compared With High-Load Resistance Exercise. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. ISSN 1064-8011. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000005370. Full text in Research Archive
Lander, Elise; Hamarsland, Håvard; Lees, M. J.; Moore, D. & Raastad, Truls (2026). Resistance training partially restores age-related differences in skeletal muscle amino acid transporters - secondary analysis from two randomized controlled trials. The Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging. ISSN 1279-7707. 30(4). doi: 10.1016/j.jnha.2026.100808. Full text in Research Archive
Negaard, Helene Francisca Stigter; Haugnes, Hege Sagstuen; Fosså, Sophie Dorothea; Gjerset, Gunhild Maria; Edvardsen, Elisabeth & Larsen, Karl-Otto [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2026). Deterioration in Physical Fitness and Changes in Body Composition After Cisplatin-Based Chemotherapy for Metastatic Testicular Cancer. Clinical Genitourinary Cancer. ISSN 1558-7673. 24(2). doi: 10.1016/j.clgc.2026.102507. Full text in Research Archive
Zambolin, Fabio; Vikmoen, Olav; Cumming, Kristoffer Toldnes; Skattebo, Øyvind; Ødemark, Hege Nymo & Øfsteng, Sjur Fortun [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2026). Similar performance and muscle adaptations between intervals with and without blood flow restriction in well-trained cyclists. Journal of applied physiology. ISSN 8750-7587. 140, p. 699–709. doi: 10.1152/japplphysiol.01038.2025. Full text in Research Archive Show summary
Background: Blood flow restriction (BFR) allows exercise at lower external load with similar or greater improvements compared with traditional training in non-trained individuals. However, the effect in well-trained competitive athletes is unclear. The aim of this study was to compare effort-matched high-intensity interval training (HIIT) microcycles performed with or without BFR on endurance performance and muscular adaptations in well-trained cyclists. Methods: 17 well-trained cyclists (31 ± 9 years; VO2max: 67 ± 6ml×kg-1×min-1) were randomized to groups performing five HIIT sessions (6 x 5 min intervals with 2.5 min of recovery) with (BFR) or without (HIIT) thigh cuffs occluding the legs. VO2max, power output at 4 mmoL/L blood lactate (LT4), mean power output during 5-minute maximal cycling (MPO5min), percentage of VO2max used at LT4 (%VO2max @LT4), haemoglobin mass and blood volume (BV) were assessed. Muscle biopsies from m. vastus lateralis evaluated muscle cross-sectional area (CSA), capillaries, citrate synthase (CS), Hydroxyacyl-Coenzyme A dehydrogenase (HADH) and cytochrome c oxidase 4 (COX4). Results: The BFR group trained at a 42% lower power output than HIIT group (177±3 W vs 307±8 W, respectively, p<0.01), but with no differences in heart rate or rate of perceived exertion. Both groups improved MPO5min by ⁓4%, with no changes in LT4, VO2max, haemoglobin mass and BV. HIIT showed a significant reduction in CSA for type 2 muscle fibers compared with BFR, whereas no changes were found in the other muscle analyses. Conclusions: BFR applied during a 6-day interval microcycle provides similar performance gains as traditional HIIT in well-trained cyclists.

View all works in NVA

Raastad, Truls; Ferrauti, Alexander; Jones, Andrew M. & Thompson, Janice L. (2026). New Trends in Sport Science—Observations From the 30th Annual Congress of the European College of Sport Science in Rimini. European Journal of Sport Science (EJSS). ISSN 1746-1391. 26(5). doi: 10.1002/ejsc.70175. Full text in Research Archive