Mechanisms Underlying Hypoxic, Heat and Cross-tolerance Adaptation in Women
- Conditions
- Heat ExposureExercise Training
- Registration Number
- NCT06575985
- Lead Sponsor
- Jozef Stefan Institute
- Brief Summary
This study will consist of a parallel-groups design, with 30 healthy active female participants randomly assigned to either an experimental heat acclimation and exercise intervention, or a thermo-neutral exercise intervention control group. Interventions will be 10 days in duration, and consist of daily 60-minute exercise bouts under the appropriate environmental condition. Before and after each intervention, various tests will be conducted to establish exercise capacity under various environmental conditions, as well as underlying mechanisms of physiological adaptation induced by each intervention.
- Detailed Description
Most research on how the human body responds to different environmental conditions has primarily focused on men, leaving a gap in our understanding of how women adapt to these conditions. Heat exposure in particular is known to affect the well-being and performance of humans, as well as induce chronic adaptations through an acclimation/acclimatization process, which helps the body to better regulate core temperature. Moreover, contemporary research is beginning to explore the 'cross-tolerance' phenomenon; the notion that exposure (and acclimation/acclimatization) to one environmental stressor may affect the responses to another. In particular, both heat and hypoxia are known to activate common acclimatization pathways, with pulmonary, cardiovascular, hematological and muscular adaptations occurring to facilitate both oxygen transport and core body temperature regulation. In line with this background, the primary aim of this study is to investigate the effects of a heat acclimation and exercise intervention, relative to a thermo-neutral exercise control intervention, on exercise tolerance under various environmental conditions (heat, hypoxia, neutral) in healthy, active women. The secondary aim is to establish mechanisms of adaptation, by exploring the intervention-induced changes in pulmonary, cardiovascular, hematological and muscular factors, through various tests conducted at rest and during exercise.
To address these aims, 30 healthy active female participants, aged between 18 and 35 years, will be randomized to either an experimental (heat acclimation and exercise training) or control (thermo-neutral exercise training) group. The experimental group will complete a 10-day heat acclimation training intervention, exercising for 60 minutes per day in a climactic chamber set to 35°C and 50% relative humidity. The control group will complete a similar exercise intervention, but under thermo-neutral conditions (23°C and 50% relative humidity). Before and after the intervention period, both groups will complete a wide variety of tests, including exercise capacity measurements under each environmental condition (heat \[35°C\], hypoxia \[Fraction of inspired oxygen = 0.135\], neutral \[23°C, FiO2 = 0.209\]), body composition assessments, lung function testing, hemoglobin mass and blood volume quantification, skeletal muscle mitochondrial function and vascular responsiveness assessment, and venous blood sampling for a variety of sex hormone-, redox balance-, hematopoietic-, heat shock protein-, hypoxia-inducible factor- and genetic-related markers.
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- NOT_YET_RECRUITING
- Sex
- Female
- Target Recruitment
- 30
- Age: 18 - 35 years
- Body mass index: 18.5 - 25.0 kg/m^2
- Regular physical activity (at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity, three times per week)
- Habitual smoker within the past 5 years
- History of metabolic disorders or any medications deemed to pose an undue risk or introduce bias in any outcome measures
- Exposure to altitude > 2000 m above sea level within four weeks of scheduled participation
- Permanent residence at altitude > 1000 m above sea level
Study & Design
- Study Type
- INTERVENTIONAL
- Study Design
- PARALLEL
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Exercise capacity under thermo-neutral hypoxic conditions Measured once before (pre) and once up to 1 week after (post) the intervention period Results of an incremental exercise test to exhaustion conducted at 23°C and an FiO2 of 0.135, quantified using maximal oxygen uptake
Exercise capacity under thermo-neutral normoxic conditions Measured once before (pre) and once up to 1 week after (post) the intervention period Results of an incremental exercise test to exhaustion conducted at 23°C and an FiO2 of 0.209, quantified using maximal oxygen uptake
Exercise capacity under hot normoxic conditions Measured once before (pre) and once up to 1 week after (post) the intervention period Results of an incremental exercise test to exhaustion conducted at 35°C and an FiO2 of 0.209, quantified using maximal oxygen uptake
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Muscle oxygenation during exercise Measured once before (pre) and once up to 1 week after (post) the intervention period Vastus lateralis oxygenation measured throughout the incremental exercise tests using near-infrared spectroscopy.
Pulse oxygen saturation during exercise Measured once before (pre) and once up to 1 week after (post) the intervention period Capillary oxygen saturation measured on the right earlobe throughout the incremental exercise tests using pulse oximetry.
Core body temperature regulation during exercise Measured once before (pre) and once up to 1 week after (post) the intervention period Core body temperature measured throughout the incremental exercise tests using a rectal temperature probe.
Brain oxygenation during exercise Measured once before (pre) and once up to 1 week after (post) the intervention period Cerebral oxygenation measured at the left pre-frontal cortex throughout the incremental exercise tests using near-infrared spectroscopy.
Hemoglobin mass Measured once before (pre) and once up to 1 week after (post) the intervention period Hemoglobin mass estimation using the carbon monoxide re-breathing method
Skin temperature regulation during exercise Measured once before (pre) and once up to 1 week after (post) the intervention period Skin temperature measured throughout the incremental exercise tests using temperature probes attached to the calf, thigh, chest and arm, from which weighted averages are calculated.
Sweat rates during exercise Measured once before (pre) and once up to 1 week after (post) the intervention period Sweat rate measured throughout the incremental exercise tests using a sensor attached to the forehead.
Hemo-dynamic activity during exercise Measured once before (pre) and once up to 1 week after (post) the intervention period Cardiac output measured throughout the incremental exercise tests by bio-electrical impedance cardiography.
Pulmonary ventilation during exercise Measured once before (pre) and once up to 1 week after (post) the intervention period Pulmonary ventilation measured throughout the incremental exercise tests using flow measurements as recorded by metabolic cart.
Gas exchange during exercise Measured once before (pre) and once up to 1 week after (post) the intervention period Balance of oxygen uptake and carbon dioxide production measured throughout the incremental exercise tests using gas composition sensors recorded by metabolic cart.
Body composition Measured once before (pre) and once up to 1 week after (post) the intervention period Body mass measured using standard weighing scales, with body fat percentage estimated using a standardized eight-site skinfold measurement protocol with associated equation.
Blood/plasma volume Measured once before (pre) and once up to 1 week after (post) the intervention period Blood/plasma volume estimation using the carbon monoxide re-breathing method
Skeletal muscle mitochondrial function Measured once before (pre) and once up to 1 week after (post) the intervention period Skeletal muscle mitochondrial function quantified using a peripheral vascular occlusion test, with the rate of decrease in muscle oxygenation used to estimate mitochondrial function.
Lung function Measured once before (pre) and once up to 1 week after (post) the intervention period Standard spirometry procedure to assess lung function using forced expiratory volume
Hypoxia-inducible factor 1α Measured once before (pre) and once up to 1 week after (post) the intervention period Venous blood samples will be obtained to measure hypoxia-inducible factor 1α in the extracted plasma and serum.
Skeletal muscle vascular responsiveness Measured once before (pre) and once up to 1 week after (post) the intervention period Skeletal muscle vascular responsiveness quantified using a peripheral vascular occlusion test, with the rate of increase in muscle oxygenation during re-perfusion, and the oxygenation overshoot relative to pre-occlusion baseline, used to estimate vascular responsiveness.
Oxidative stress marker Measured once before (pre) and once up to 1 week after (post) the intervention period Venous blood samples will be obtained to quantify redox balance from the extracted plasma.
Hematopoiesis Measured once before (pre) and once up to 1 week after (post) the intervention period Venous blood samples will be obtained to measure various markers of hematopoiesis from the extracted plasma, serum and/or whole blood.
Blood viscosity Measured once before (pre) and once up to 1 week after (post) the intervention period Blood viscosity will be measured by obtaining venous blood samples from the participants, extracting plasma, and using a cone/plate viscometer to quantify viscosity and varying shear rates.
Heat shock proteins Measured once before (pre) and once up to 1 week after (post) the intervention period Venous blood samples will be obtained to measure heat shock proteins in the extracted plasma and serum.
Trial Locations
- Locations (2)
Jozef Stefan Institute
🇸🇮Ljubljana, SI, Slovenia
University of Ljubljana
🇸🇮Ljubljana, Slovenia
Jozef Stefan Institute🇸🇮Ljubljana, SI, SloveniaBenjamin Narang, MSciContact+38640569967benjamin.narang@ijs.si