14 Participants Needed

Heat Exposure for Heat Acclimation

AT
NA
Overseen ByNormand A Richard, MSc
Age: 18 - 65
Sex: Female
Trial Phase: Academic
Sponsor: Trinity Western University
No Placebo GroupAll trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Trial Summary

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.

What data supports the effectiveness of the treatment Heat exposure, Heat Acclimatization, Heat Acclimation, Thermal Acclimatization?

Research shows that heat acclimation, which involves gradually getting used to hot conditions, can improve physical performance and help prevent heat-related illnesses by enhancing the body's ability to cool itself through increased sweating and better blood flow. This treatment is effective for both athletes and workers in hot environments.12345

Is heat exposure generally safe for humans?

Heat exposure can lead to serious health risks, including heat stroke and other heat-related illnesses, especially in occupational settings. However, controlled heat acclimation can improve the body's ability to handle heat and reduce the risk of heat illness, particularly for athletes.678910

How does heat exposure treatment differ from other treatments for heat acclimation?

Heat exposure treatment is unique because it involves repeated exposure to heat to help the body adapt, improving sweat production and cardiovascular stability, unlike other methods that may not directly simulate environmental heat stress.35111213

What is the purpose of this trial?

Heat acclimation is when you repeatedly exposure yourself to heat so that your body adapts and better tolerates heat.This project will determine if completing a heat acclimation maintenance period after heat acclimation is more beneficial than heat acclimating alone for exercise performance in the heat. To determine this, participants will exercise in the heat before heat acclimation, after heat acclimation, and after heat acclimation maintenance. Researchers will assess the heart's pumping capacity, blood volume, body temperature, and exercise performance to determine which approach is more effective.

Research Team

AT

Anita T Coté, PhD

Principal Investigator

Trinity Western University

Eligibility Criteria

This trial is for females who can safely undergo heat exposure and are interested in improving their body's response to heat. Specific eligibility details are not provided, but typically participants should be healthy with no conditions that could be worsened by heat.

Inclusion Criteria

Able to speak, read, and write in English
Familiar with the sport of cycling and own a bicycle and smart trainer (or a trainer and a power meter)
Endurance athlete or currently engaging in endurance exercise
See 1 more

Exclusion Criteria

Unable to exercise
I experience discomfort or illness from heat.
Pregnant

Timeline

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Heat Acclimation

Participants undergo 10 sessions of heat acclimation over two weeks

2 weeks
10 sessions (in-person)

Heat Acclimation Maintenance

Participants undergo three weeks of heat acclimation maintenance with three heat sessions per week

3 weeks
9 sessions (in-person)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in exercise performance and physiological responses

4 weeks

Treatment Details

Interventions

  • Heat exposure
Trial Overview The study tests if maintaining adaptations from repeated heat exposure (heat acclimation) benefits exercise performance in the heat more than just initial acclimation. Participants will exercise under hot conditions at three stages: before, after acclimation, and post-maintenance.
Participant Groups
2Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Active Control
Group I: Heat AcclimationExperimental Treatment1 Intervention
Participants in this arm will undergo heat acclimation sessions
Group II: ControlActive Control1 Intervention
Participants in this arm will undergo heart rate matched training volume

Find a Clinic Near You

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Trinity Western University

Lead Sponsor

Trials
2
Recruited
580+

Findings from Research

Heat acclimation (HA) improved thermoregulation, perceived exertion, and exercise performance in both young and elderly participants, indicating its efficacy across age groups.
Both exercise-based heat acclimation and post-exercise hot water immersion are effective methods for preparing elderly individuals to handle heat stress, with no significant differences in outcomes between the two approaches.
Exercise heat acclimation and post-exercise hot water immersion improve resting and exercise responses to heat stress in the elderly.Waldock, KAM., Gibson, OR., Relf, RL., et al.[2021]
Hot water immersion (HWI) resulted in a greater increase in tympanic temperature compared to exercise-heat acclimation (EHA), indicating a higher thermal strain during the acclimation process.
Despite the higher thermal strain from HWI, both HWI and EHA similarly reduced heart rate, core temperature, and perceived exertion, suggesting that HWI could be an effective method for improving heat tolerance without compromising cardiovascular or thermoregulatory responses.
Short-term hot water immersion results in substantial thermal strain and partial heat acclimation; comparisons with heat-exercise exposures.Greenfield, AM., Pereira, FG., Boyer, WR., et al.[2021]
Heat acclimation in a hot environment (40°C) leads to greater increases in core temperature, sweating rate, and heat shock protein levels compared to overdressing in a temperate environment (15°C), indicating that true heat exposure is more effective for physiological adaptation.
While overdressing can simulate some thermoregulatory responses, it may not fully replicate the benefits of exercising in actual heat, suggesting that athletes may need to seek more effective methods for heat acclimation to optimize performance.
Physiological Responses to Overdressing and Exercise-Heat Stress in Trained Runners.Ely, BR., Blanchard, LA., Steele, JR., et al.[2019]

References

Exercise heat acclimation and post-exercise hot water immersion improve resting and exercise responses to heat stress in the elderly. [2021]
Short-term hot water immersion results in substantial thermal strain and partial heat acclimation; comparisons with heat-exercise exposures. [2021]
Physiological Responses to Overdressing and Exercise-Heat Stress in Trained Runners. [2019]
Short-term heat acclimation training improves physical performance: a systematic review, and exploration of physiological adaptations and application for team sports. [2022]
Effectiveness of exercise-heat acclimation for preventing heat illness in the workplace. [2019]
A Case-Crossover Study of Heat Exposure and Injury Risk in Outdoor Agricultural Workers. [2022]
Adaptations and mechanisms of human heat acclimation: Applications for competitive athletes and sports. [2022]
[Heat stroke in the workplace: description of a case with fatal outcome]. [2010]
Heat Exposure and Occupational Injuries: Review of the Literature and Implications. [2023]
10.United Statespubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Occupational heat-related illness in Washington State: A descriptive study of day of illness and prior day ambient temperatures among cases and clusters, 2006-2021. [2023]
Heat acclimation decreased oxidative DNA damage resulting from exposure to high heat in an occupational setting. [2021]
Individual variability in achievement of short-term heat acclimation during a fixed intensity protocol. [2022]
Eccrine sweat glands. Adaptations to physical training and heat acclimation. [2022]
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