Laboratory Heat Biomarker and Cooling Interventions

May 23, 2026 updated by: Julie Parsonnet, Stanford University

Laboratory Based Identification of Heat Stress Biomarkers and Effective Cooling Interventions

Our study has two goals. The first goal is to find a blood test that can detect signs of strain from heat in the body ("a biomarker"). Second, the study team wants to identify types of devices that can help people cool down quickly.

By identifying biomarkers for heat strain, scientists can better track and treat the health effects of heat. The study team will identify such biomarkers by simulating, in a laboratory-based environment, the heat and physical work that real-world workers experience.

In addition, the study team plans to test two cooling technologies that might keep people cool during physical activity.

Study Overview

Status

Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

30

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age 18-50
  • Able to communicate in English or Spanish
  • General good health
  • A lifestyle that includes regular patterns of modest exercise
  • Body weight over 80 pounds

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Cannot provide informed consent
  • Known history of cardiac arrhythmias or having a pacemaker
  • Difficulty swallowing pills
  • Planned upcoming X-ray tests or MRI
  • Known history of gastroparesis, diverticulosis or diverticulitis, or inflammatory bowel disease
  • Previous surgery on stomach or intestines (except for appendix or gallbladder)
  • Pregnancy
  • Self-reported cardiac, kidney, or pulmonary disease, or diabetes
  • Concurrent use of temperature- or inflammation-modulating medications such as steroids or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
  • Staff under the direct supervision of any project directors or employed in the laboratory of the study investigators

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Prevention
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Biomarker testing (A), Cooling bandana (B), Hand cooling table (C)
On day 1 participants use the treadmill for one hour at a research laboratory while being monitored by trained research personnel and no cooling intervention is given to the participants. On day 2, participants use a cooling bandana during exercise for 1 hour. On day 3, participants use a hand cooling table after exercise for 10 minutes during a recovery period.
Other: Hand cooling table
A participant can rest their hand on the cooling table after the one hour exercise session, and this should cool their body quickly. Cold water is pumped throughout the cooling table.
Other: Cooling bandana
A participant will tie a bandana that has been soaked in cold water onto their forehead. They will wear this bandana during the one hour exercise session.
Experimental: Biomarker testing (A), Hand cooling table (C), Cooling bandana (B)
On day 1 participants use the treadmill for one hour at a research laboratory while being monitored by trained research personnel and no cooling intervention is given to the participants. On day 2, participants use a hand cooling table after exercise for 10 minutes during a recovery period. On day 3, participants use a cooling bandana during exercise for 1 hour.
Other: Hand cooling table
A participant can rest their hand on the cooling table after the one hour exercise session, and this should cool their body quickly. Cold water is pumped throughout the cooling table.
Other: Cooling bandana
A participant will tie a bandana that has been soaked in cold water onto their forehead. They will wear this bandana during the one hour exercise session.
Experimental: Cooling bandana (B), Biomarker testing (A), Hand cooling table (C)
On day 1, participants use a cooling bandana during exercise for 1 hour at a research laboratory while being monitored by trained research personnel. On day 2 participants use the treadmill for one hour and no cooling intervention is given to the participants. On day 3, participants use a hand cooling table after exercise for 10 minutes during a recovery period.
Other: Hand cooling table
A participant can rest their hand on the cooling table after the one hour exercise session, and this should cool their body quickly. Cold water is pumped throughout the cooling table.
Other: Cooling bandana
A participant will tie a bandana that has been soaked in cold water onto their forehead. They will wear this bandana during the one hour exercise session.
Experimental: Cooling bandana (B), Hand cooling table (C), Biomarker testing (A)
On day 1, participants use a cooling bandana during exercise for 1 hour at a research laboratory while being monitored by trained research personnel. On day 2, participants use a hand cooling table after exercise for 10 minutes during a recovery period. On day 3 participants use the treadmill for one hour and no cooling intervention is given to the participants.
Other: Hand cooling table
A participant can rest their hand on the cooling table after the one hour exercise session, and this should cool their body quickly. Cold water is pumped throughout the cooling table.
Other: Cooling bandana
A participant will tie a bandana that has been soaked in cold water onto their forehead. They will wear this bandana during the one hour exercise session.
Experimental: Hand cooling table (C), Biomarker testing (A), Cooling bandana (B)
On day 1, participants use a hand cooling table after exercise for 10 minutes during a recovery period at a research laboratory while being monitored by trained research personnel. On day 2 participants use the treadmill for one hour and no cooling intervention is given to the participants. On day 3, participants use a cooling bandana during exercise for 1 hour.
Other: Hand cooling table
A participant can rest their hand on the cooling table after the one hour exercise session, and this should cool their body quickly. Cold water is pumped throughout the cooling table.
Other: Cooling bandana
A participant will tie a bandana that has been soaked in cold water onto their forehead. They will wear this bandana during the one hour exercise session.
Experimental: Hand cooling table (C), Cooling bandana (B), Biomarker testing (A)
On day 1, participants use a hand cooling table after exercise for 10 minutes during a recovery period at a research laboratory while being monitored by trained research personnel. On day 2, participants use a cooling bandana during exercise for 1 hour. On day 3 participants use the treadmill for one hour and no cooling intervention is given to the participants.
Other: Hand cooling table
A participant can rest their hand on the cooling table after the one hour exercise session, and this should cool their body quickly. Cold water is pumped throughout the cooling table.
Other: Cooling bandana
A participant will tie a bandana that has been soaked in cold water onto their forehead. They will wear this bandana during the one hour exercise session.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Core body temperature
Time Frame: Baseline through end of study (approximately 2 months).
Baseline through end of study (approximately 2 months).

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Stanford University

Collaborators

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Julie Parsonnet, MD, Stanford University

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

June 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

June 1, 2028

Study Completion (Estimated)

June 1, 2028

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

May 23, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 23, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

June 1, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

June 1, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 23, 2026

Last Verified

May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 86182
  • 1R01DK146310-01 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

Clinical Trials on Hyperthermia

Clinical Trials on Hand cooling table

Search Similar Trials

Sponsors and Collaborators

Medical Conditions

Drug Interventions

CROs by country

CROs in Germany

Conditions

Rare Diseases

Drug Interventions

Dietary Supplements

Sponsor/Collaborators

Locations

Subscribe