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Status unknownNCT05302739Updated Mar 31, 2022

The Effects of Facial Cooling on Fencing Performance

An interventional study of Facial cooling in Hyperthermia, sponsored by St Mary's University College. Status unknown. Open to male participants aged 18 Years to 60 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2022-03-31.

Sponsored by St Mary's University College · Not applicable, Interventional, and Prevention

The sponsor has not verified this record recently (last verified Mar 2022), so the status shown — last known as Not yet recruiting — may be out of date.
Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
10
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years to 60 Years
Sex
Male
01

Study summary

Fencing competitions can last between nine and eleven hours, during which athletes wear layers of protective equipment that impair evaporative heat transfer and spend a large amount of time at exercise intensities > 85% maximum heart rate. Fencing performance can potentially contribute to heat stress due to increases in core temperature. Elevated core temperatures could hamper performance, and therefore the implementation of a strategy to reduce core temperature increases could lead to augmented fencing performance. Cooling methods are limited for use between fencing matches and during short breaks within a direct elimination match. Furthermore, due to multiple layers of thick protective equipment cooling method applications are limited primarily to the facial area. A potential cooling strategy, during fencing competition, includes the utilization of a water facial mist spray combined with fanning of the face. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate the novel use of facial cooling on core temperature, relevant physiological parameters, perceived exertion and thermal comfort and sensation during a simulated fencing competition performance, in male epee fencers.

02

Conditions studied

  • Hyperthermia

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03

In context

Hyperthermia

478 studies on the registry are indexed under Hyperthermia; 92 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 10 is below the median of 60 across 365 interventional studies indexed under Hyperthermia.

Browse Hyperthermia studies →

Lead sponsor

St Mary's University College is the lead sponsor of 25 studies on the registry; none are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 60 Years
Sexes eligible
Male
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

  • Trained fencers

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Injured or a contraindicative medical condition
05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Prevention
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Crossover assignment
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
10 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Facial cooling

    Between each simulated fencing match participants will spend the first 30 s of rest having a facial water mist sprayed onto the face with accompanying fanning from 50 cm away from the face.

    Other: Facial cooling

  • No intervention
    Placebo

Interventions

  • OtherFacial cooling

    30 s of water mist sprayed onto the face during breaks in a simulated fencing competition

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Tympanic temperature

    Change from baseline in tympanic temperature taken during each 60 s break within the simulated fencing bout protocol and between each simulated fencing bout

    Time frame: From baseline to completion, up to 31 days

  2. Heart rate

    Change from baseline in heart rate recorded during each 60 s break within the simulated fencing bout protocol and between each simulated fencing bout

    Time frame: From baseline to completion, up to 31 days

  3. Blood lactate concentration

    Change from baseline in blood lactate concentration recorded during each 60 s break within the simulated fencing bout protocol and between each simulated fencing bout

    Time frame: From baseline to completion, up to 31 days

  4. Thermal comfort

    Change from baseline in thermal comfort will be recorded on a scale of 1 - 4 (1 = comfortable; 2 = slightly uncomfortable; 3 = uncomfortable; 4 = very uncomfortable) during each 60 s break within the simulated fencing bout protocol and between each simulated fencing bout.

    Time frame: From baseline to completion, up to 31 days

  5. Thermal sensation

    Change from baseline in thermal sensation will be recorded on a scale of 1 - 7 (1 = cold; 2 = cool; 3 = slightly cool; 4 = neutral; 5 = slightly warm; 6 = warm; 7 = hot) during each 60 s break within the simulated fencing bout protocol and between each simulated fencing bout.

    Time frame: From baseline to completion, up to 31 days

  6. Rating of perceived exertion of the dominant arm

    Change from baseline in rating of perceived exertion exertion for the dominant arm will be recorded on a scale of 1 - 10 (CR10 Borg Scale) during each 60 s break within the simulated fencing bout protocol and between each simulated fencing bout.

    Time frame: From baseline to completion, up to 31 days

  7. Rating of perceived exertion of the legs

    Change from baseline in rating of perceived exertion for the legs will be recorded on a scale of 1 - 10 (CR10 Borg Scale) during each 60 s break within the simulated fencing bout protocol and between each simulated fencing bout.

    Time frame: From baseline to completion, up to 31 days

  8. Rating of whole body perceived exertion

    Change from baseline in whole body rating of perceived exertion will be recorded on a scale of 1 - 10 (CR10 Borg Scale) during each 60 s break within the simulated fencing bout protocol and between each simulated fencing bout.

    Time frame: From baseline to completion, up to 31 days

07

Study locations

No study locations are listed for this record.

08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Mar 31, 2022, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT05302739
Lead sponsor
St Mary's University College
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Mar 31, 2022
Start date
Apr 20, 2022 (estimated)
Primary completion
Aug 31, 2022 (estimated)
Completion
Sep 26, 2022 (estimated)
Last update
Mar 31, 2022

Oversight

FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is status unknown, as verified in Mar 2022. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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