Lower-body heat therapy to improve mobility after long COVID
Official title: Physical Rehabilitation of Long COVID by Heat Therapy
Run by University of Nebraska · NCT06928116 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This test will see if at-home lower-body heat therapy can improve mobility and metabolic and vascular health in people aged 50–90 with long COVID who have ongoing fatigue or reduced physical function.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 50 Years to 90 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 99 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | University of Nebraska Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Omaha, Nebraska) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | January 16, 2025 |
| Main results expected | August 31, 2028 |
| Study ends | August 2029 |
| Registry record updated | September 28, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT06928116 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
People aged 50–90 who previously had COVID-19 and continue to experience fatigue or reduced physical function for at least two months, who can walk and meet the BMI/weight limits, are ideal candidates.
✕Probably not a fit
People who are pregnant, breastfeeding, on hormone therapy, have orthopedic limitations that prevent walking, severe claustrophobia, or are already enrolled in exercise-based rehabilitation may not benefit or be ineligible.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
Researchers will enroll adults aged 50–90 with persistent symptoms after COVID-19 and randomize them to home-based lower-body heat therapy, a sham control, or a walking intervention, with planned baseline and follow-up visits at the University of Nebraska Omaha. The trial will measure safety, tolerability, adherence, and changes in functional capacity alongside metabolic and vascular biomarkers. Heat therapy is delivered at home to assess real-world tolerability and feasibility for people who may struggle with traditional exercise-based rehabilitation. Outcomes will compare mobility and surrogate cardiometabolic markers between groups over the intervention period.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could offer a low-exertion, at-home option to improve mobility and cardiometabolic health for older adults with long COVID.
How similar studies have gone: Whole-body heat therapy has shown health benefits in other populations, but lower-body, home-based heat therapy for long COVID is relatively novel and largely untested.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Between the ages of 50 and 90 years * Free from orthopedic limitations that would prohibit performing leg exercise * BMI \< 40 kg/m2 and weigh \< 400lbs * Previously contracted Covid-19 and have persistent symptoms such as a fatigue or decline in physical function, for at least 2 months following SARS-CoV-2 infection Exclusion Criteria: * Unable to give written informed consent * Women who are pregnant, breastfeeding, or likely to become pregnant within the next 6 months * Claustrophobia * Orthopedic limitations that would prohibit them from walking * Currently enrolled in an exercise-based or respiratory muscle rehabilitation program.
Where it's running
-
University of Nebraska Omaha
Omaha, Nebraska, United States Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Gwenael Layec, PhD — University of Nebraska
- Study coordinator: Gwenael Layec, PhD
- Email: unovrl@unomaha.edu
- Phone: 402-554-3779
Similar studies
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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.