Keeping indoor temperature at 26 °C to reduce heat strain in healthy young adults
Official title: Evaluating the Effectiveness of a 26 °C Indoor Temperature Limit to Mitigate Physiological Strain in Young, Habitually Active Adults
Run by University of Ottawa · NCT07267598 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This will test whether keeping indoor temperatures at 26 °C protects healthy, habitually active young adults from heat strain and cognitive changes.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 18 Years to 29 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 10 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | University of Ottawa Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Ottawa, Ontario) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | November 7, 2025 |
| Main results expected | January 25, 2026 |
| Study ends | December 30, 2026 |
| Registry record updated | June 16, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT07267598 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal candidates are healthy, non-smoking adults who are habitually active but not endurance-trained, speak English or French, can give informed consent, and can attend in-person visits in Ottawa.
✕Probably not a fit
People who are endurance-trained, regularly use saunas or warm-water immersion, have chronic medical conditions, are pregnant, or cannot travel to Ottawa may not receive direct benefit from this study's findings.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This interventional study exposes healthy, non-smoking young adults to a simulated indoor environment with an upper temperature limit of 26 °C while measuring physiological and cognitive responses. Participants who are not endurance-trained and who have no chronic disease will complete controlled activity sessions while researchers monitor core temperature, heart rate, sweat rate, and cognitive performance. The protocol excludes people with regular passive heat exposures (e.g., saunas), current pregnancy, or medication changes that make participation inadvisable. All visits are conducted in person at the University of Ottawa in Ottawa, Ontario.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the results could clarify whether a 26 °C indoor limit adequately protects active young adults and help shape public heat-safety guidance.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research showed a 26 °C indoor limit protected heat-vulnerable older adults, but this guideline has not been tested in young, habitually active adults.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Non-smoking. * English or French speaking. * Ability to provide informed consent. * Healthy young adults without chronic disease (e.g., type 1 diabetes, hypertension) Exclusion Criteria: * Endurance trained (i.e., engaged in regular physical training activities more than 3 times a week for more than 1 hour per session). * Undergoing passive heat exposures such as regular of saunas, warm-water immersion, other. * Use of or changes in medication judged by the patient or investigators to make participation in this study inadvisable. * Current pregnancy
Where it's running
-
University of Ottawa
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Glen P Kenny, PhD — University of Ottawa
- Study coordinator: Glen P Kenny, PhD
- Email: gkenny@uottawa.ca
- Phone: 6133029267
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.