Ethanol Consumption in the Heat

Not Applicable

Recruiting

• Conditions: Alcohol Consumption; Heat Stress; Age
• Interventions: Drug: Placebo Beverage; Drug: Alcohol (Ethanol)

• Registration Number: NCT06935045
• Lead Sponsor: Lakehead University

Brief Summary

Climate change has significantly increased the earth's average surface temperature and heat waves have been predicted to increase in frequency, intensity and duration. Extreme heat events have increased the susceptibility to heat-related illnesses, such as heat exhaustion, heat stroke or death. Heat health action plans have been designed to advertise cooling behaviours to mitigate physiological strain. Heat health action plans suggest avoiding alcohol consumption during extreme heat as it may increase dehydration and impair behavioural or physiological temperature regulation and thermal perception. Regardless of these messages, alcohol sales continue to remain high during the summer months year after year, and 1/5 of adults identify alcohol as a hydration strategy during extreme heat events. A recent scoping review investigating the effects of alcohol and heat has demonstrated that acute alcohol consumption does not negatively influence thermoregulation, hydration, or hormone markers of fluid balance in the heat compared to a control fluid (https://doi.org/10.1186/s12940-024-01113-y). Further, alcohol consumption may elicit sex- and age-specific alterations in physiological and perceptual responses, neither of which have been explored.

Therefore, this study aims to comprehensively evaluate how alcohol consumption systematically alters physiological responses and perceptions during conditions similar to those experienced indoors during extreme heat events in younger and older adults.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2023-12-04
• Status Verified: 2025-04
• Study First Submitted: 2025-04-01
• Study First Submitted QC: 2025-04-11
• Last Update Submitted: 2025-04-11
• Study First Posted: 2025-04-18
• Last Update Posted: 2025-04-18
• Primary Completion: 2025-08
• Study Completion: 2025-08

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: RECRUITING
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 34

Inclusion Criteria

• Male or Female above the age of 19
• Able to provide informed consent

Exclusion Criteria

• History of cardiovascular disease, cancer, type 1 or 2 diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, cystic fibrosis, or alcohol addiction or dependence
• Been hospitalized due to COVID-19
• Pregnant/Breastfeeding
• Scoring an eight or above on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT)

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: CROSSOVER

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Placebo	Placebo Beverage	Placebo (non-alcoholic beverage)
Alcohol	Alcohol (Ethanol)	Consumption of alcohol beverages: females 0.75 ± 0.1 grams of ethanol/kilogram body mass; males 1.0 ± 0.1 grams of ethanol/kilogram body mass

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Heart Rate	measured at baseline (pre drink), and every 30 minutes following consumption (up to 120 minutes).	3-lead electrocardiogram
Skin Temperature	measured at baseline (pre drink), and every 30 minutes following consumption (up to 120 minutes).	Mean skin (4 sites)
Core Temperature	measured at baseline (pre drink), and every 30 minutes following consumption (up to 120 minutes).	measured rectally
Blood Pressure	measured at baseline (pre drink), and every 30 minutes following consumption (up to 120 minutes).	ECG-gated blood pressure cuff
Heart Rate Variability	measured at baseline (pre drink), and every 30 minutes following consumption (up to 120 minutes).
Arrythmia presence	measured at baseline (pre drink), and every 30 minutes following consumption (up to 120 minutes).
Whole-body Sweat Loss	mass measured at baseline and end heat stress.	Difference in mass from baseline to end heat stress
Postural Sway via the Romberg Test	measured at baseline (pre drink), and every 30 minutes following consumption (up to 120 minutes).	The total movement of the body around the center of mass with feet together
Skin Blood Flow	measured at baseline (pre drink), and every 30 minutes following consumption (up to 120 minutes).
Urine Output	Total urine output (e.g. volume) from baseline to immediately following 120 minutes of heat stress
ASHRAE seven-point thermal sensation scale	measured at baseline (pre drink), and every 30 minutes following consumption (up to 120 minutes).
5-Point Thermal Comfort Scale	measured at baseline (pre drink), and every 30 minutes following consumption (up to 120 minutes).	Thermal comfort scale with 1- comfortable and 5 - very uncomfortable

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Subjective Blood Alcohol Concentration (visual analog scale 0.0 - 0.20)	measured at baseline (pre drink), and every 30 minutes following consumption (up to 120 minutes).	Visual analog scale with left and right anchors of 0.0 and 0.20, respectively, with markers every 0.005 increment
Blood Alcohol Concentration	measured at baseline (pre drink), and every 30 minutes following consumption (up to 120 minutes).	Measured using a police grade portable breathalyzer

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Lakehead University; 🇨🇦 Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada