Effects of Blood Gas Perturbations

Effects of Blood Gas Perturbations on Neuromuscular Function of the Diaphragm and Lower Limbs at Rest and During Exercise.

In this study, the effects of blood gas perturbations on neuromuscular function of the diaphragm and lower limbs at rest and during exercise will be investigated.

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Healthy
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Gas perturbation

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 16
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Christina M. Spengler, Prof.; Phone Number: +41 44 632 5007; Email: christina.spengler@hest.ethz.ch

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• healthy
• non.smoking
• normal lung function
• BMI: 18.5-29.9 kg/m2
• willing to adhere to study rules

Exclusion Criteria:

• Acute illness or chronic conditions of the gastrointestinal tract, and health conditions affecting metabolism, the cardiovascular or the respiratory system, or sleep
• Intake of medications affecting metabolism, the cardiovascular, the neuromuscular or the respiratory system, or sleep
• Any metal or electronics inside of the body
• Presence of cardiac pacemaker, implanted defibrillators or implanted neurostimulators
• History of seizures or epilepsy
• Tattoos on the stimulation sites
• Previous enrolment in this study
• For women: Pregnancy, breastfeeding, or intention to become pregnant during the study

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Basic Science
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Gas perturbations; Each participant will be tested on 4 different days, on each day with a different inspiratory gas mixture applied for 2h.	Other: Gas perturbation; Participants will be breathing a gas mixture of either room air, or hypoxia, or hypercapnia, or a combination of both during 2h. This is followed by an all-out breathing exercise test against a small resistance, while still being in the respective gas condition.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Diaphragm contractility	Diaphragm contractility measured before/during/following the gas exposures and the volitional respiratory muscle exercises using transdiaphragmatic and mouth pressure responses.	Continuously measured from 10 sec before until 10 sec after each stimulation. One stimulation lasts for approx. 1 sec

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Quadriceps contractility	Quadriceps contractility will be assess before, during and following the gas exposures and respiratory muscle contractions	Continuously measured from 10 sec before until 10 sec after each stimulation. One stimulation lasts for approx. 1 sec.

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Swiss Federal Institute of Technology
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Spengler M. Christina, Prof., Exercise Physiology Lab, Department of Health Sciences and Technology

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): August 31, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 31, 2029
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 31, 2029

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: July 8, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 8, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): July 14, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): July 14, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 8, 2026
• Last Verified: July 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: REMEX-WP3

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No