Study of Heat Acclimation Effects on Heart, Blood Volume, and Exercise Performance in Healthy Trained Women

What this Trial Is About

This research aims to evaluate whether completing a heat acclimation maintenance period after initial heat acclimation improves exercise performance in the heat more than heat acclimation alone in healthy trained females. The study addresses the impact of global warming and heat waves on people exercising outdoors, focusing on how repeated heat exposure helps the body adjust to tolerate heat better. It also seeks to fill the gap in understanding how females respond to heat acclimation, especially given their increasing participation in demanding sports and occupations. Participants will be divided into two groups an experimental group undergoing heat acclimation sessions and a control group performing heart rate matched training in cool conditions. The heat acclimation group will complete 10 sessions over two weeks followed by three weeks of heat acclimation maintenance with three heat sessions per week. Both groups will exercise at home during 19 one-hour sessions, using perceptual scales or heart rate to guide effort and thermal sensation. Performance tests will be conducted before, during, and after the interventions. Throughout the study, researchers will assess heart pumping capacity, blood volume, core temperature, and exercise performance at baseline, mid-point, and post-intervention. Measurements include VO2max, plasma volume, and cardiac output to determine effects of heat acclimation and maintenance. The study will monitor participant adherence and safety, with total participation spanning at least five weeks. Data analysis will compare cardiovascular and performance changes between groups to understand which approach better supports exercise in the heat.

Heat Acclimation in Females