Exercise Intensity and Heat Responses in Children and Youth

What this study involves

The registry does not currently label this study as recruiting. Ask about its status before planning a screening visit.

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Age range

9 years - 25 years

Sex eligible

Female

Healthy volunteers

Accepted

Participants

12 Estimated

These are starting points, not an eligibility decision. The research team must review the full requirements.

About the research

Little is known about how children and youth regulate body temperature during exercise in the heat compared with young adults, including whether differences in whole-body heat exchange contribute to their responses. The goal of this clinical trial is to determine how exercise intensity affects thermoregulation in boys and girls aged 9-16 years compared with young adult men and women aged 20-25 years. Participants will complete three study visits in a hot environment of 36°C (degree Celcius (97°F, degree Farenheit)), performing light-, moderate-, and vigorous-intensity exercise corresponding to metabolic heat production of 120, 160, and 200 W/m² (w=watts, m=meter), respectively. During each visit, participants will complete four 15-minute bouts of exercise (i.e., bout 1, 2, 3 and 4 respectively) separated by 15-minute rest periods. Testing will be performed in a whole-body air calorimeter, a specialized chamber that precisely measures heat lost through evaporation and dry heat exchange and the amount of heat stored in the body. These measurements, together with core temperature and heart rate, will allow researchers to determine how increasing exercise intensity affects the body's ability to lose heat and whether these responses differ between children and youth and young adults.

Who may be able to participate?

The list below is the sponsor’s full registry wording. It can include conditions, prior treatment, test results and other requirements. A match in search does not mean you qualify.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Healthy male or female.
• Aged 9-16 years or 20-25 years.
• Habitually active, defined as participating in regular physical activity at least 3 times per week for at least 20 minutes per session over the previous 6 months.
• Able to understand and communicate in English or French.
• For participants younger than 18 years, written parental or guardian consent and participant assent are required.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Acute illness at the time of testing (e.g., cold, flu, or infection).
• History of a chronic medical condition that may affect thermoregulation, cardiovascular function, or exercise capacity (e.g., cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders, respiratory disease including asthma requiring regular medication, or neurological disorders).
• Use of medications known to affect thermoregulation, hydration status, or cardiovascular responses.
• History of heat-related illness (e.g., heat exhaustion or heat stroke).
• Digestive abnormalities or gastrointestinal conditions that may contraindicate ingestion of a telemetry pill.
• Any condition that, in the opinion of the investigators, would compromise participant safety or the integrity of the data.

Treatment, groups and participation

The registry may describe treatments and study duration without a complete visit calendar. Ask the study team for the exact schedule, procedures, risks, costs and alternatives. Keep your usual care plan unless your treating clinician tells you otherwise.

Assignment

Random assignment

Masking

No masking

What researchers are measuring

Outcome measures describe what is being studied. They are not proof that a treatment works.

Primary measures

Secondary measures

Research locations (1)

The overall study status and a local site’s status can differ. Confirm that location’s availability before traveling.

1 locations

Study team and timeline

Lead sponsor

University of Ottawa

Study start

Jul 21, 2026 Actual

Primary completion

Apr 30, 2027 Estimated

Study completion

Jun 30, 2027 Estimated

First posted

Aug 24, 2026 Actual

Last updated

Nov 10, 2026 Actual

Official study contacts

No central contact is listed. Check the locations and the official record.