An interventional study of Placebo Beverage and Alcohol (Ethanol) in Alcohol Consumption, Heat Stress and Age, sponsored by Lakehead University. Completed at 1 site in Canada. Open to participants aged 19 Years and older, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-09-24.
Sponsored by Lakehead University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Basic science
Climate change has significantly increased the earth's average surface temperature and heat waves have been predicted to increase in frequency, intensity and duration. Extreme heat events have increased the susceptibility to heat-related illnesses, such as heat exhaustion, heat stroke or death. Heat health action plans have been designed to advertise cooling behaviours to mitigate physiological strain. Heat health action plans suggest avoiding alcohol consumption during extreme heat as it may increase dehydration and impair behavioural or physiological temperature regulation and thermal perception. Regardless of these messages, alcohol sales continue to remain high during the summer months year after year, and 1/5 of adults identify alcohol as a hydration strategy during extreme heat events. A recent scoping review investigating the effects of alcohol and heat has demonstrated that acute alcohol consumption does not negatively influence thermoregulation, hydration, or hormone markers of fluid balance in the heat compared to a control fluid (https://doi.org/10.1186/s12940-024-01113-y). Further, alcohol consumption may elicit sex- and age-specific alterations in physiological and perceptual responses, neither of which have been explored.
Therefore, this study aims to comprehensively evaluate how alcohol consumption systematically alters physiological responses and perceptions during conditions similar to those experienced indoors during extreme heat events in younger and older adults.
701 studies on the registry are indexed under Alcohol Drinking; 133 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 28 is below the median of 122 across 607 interventional studies indexed under Alcohol Drinking.
Browse Alcohol Drinking studies →Lakehead University is the lead sponsor of 24 studies on the registry; 6 are open to participants now.
Compared within Alcohol Drinking, the registry's first condition term, which may not be this study's main condition. Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily. How we classify →
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Exclusion Criteria:
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Informed consent
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Placebo (non-alcoholic beverage)
Drug: Placebo Beverage
Consumption of alcohol beverages: females 0.75 ± 0.1 grams of ethanol/kilogram body mass; males 1.0 ± 0.1 grams of ethanol/kilogram body mass
Drug: Alcohol (Ethanol)
Participants rest in a climate controlled room maintained at 40°C and 30%RH for 120 minutes follow placebo beverage consumption (180 minutes total).
Participants rest in a climate controlled room maintained at 40°C and 30%RH for 120 minutes follow alcoholic beverage consumption (180 minutes total).
Heart Rate
3-lead electrocardiogram
Time frame: measured at baseline (pre drink), and every 30 minutes following consumption (up to 120 minutes).
Skin Temperature
Mean skin (4 sites)
Time frame: measured at baseline (pre drink), and every 30 minutes following consumption (up to 120 minutes).
Core Temperature
measured rectally
Time frame: measured at baseline (pre drink), and every 30 minutes following consumption (up to 120 minutes).
Blood Pressure
ECG-gated blood pressure cuff
Time frame: measured at baseline (pre drink), and every 30 minutes following consumption (up to 120 minutes).
Heart Rate Variability
Time frame: measured at baseline (pre drink), and every 30 minutes following consumption (up to 120 minutes).
Arrythmia presence
Time frame: measured at baseline (pre drink), and every 30 minutes following consumption (up to 120 minutes).
Whole-body Sweat Loss
Difference in mass from baseline to end heat stress
Time frame: mass measured at baseline and end heat stress.
Postural Sway via the Romberg Test
The total movement of the body around the center of mass with feet together
Time frame: measured at baseline (pre drink), and every 30 minutes following consumption (up to 120 minutes).
Skin Blood Flow
Time frame: measured at baseline (pre drink), and every 30 minutes following consumption (up to 120 minutes).
Urine Output
Time frame: Total urine output (e.g. volume) from baseline to immediately following 120 minutes of heat stress
ASHRAE seven-point thermal sensation scale
Time frame: measured at baseline (pre drink), and every 30 minutes following consumption (up to 120 minutes).
5-Point Thermal Comfort Scale
Thermal comfort scale with 1- comfortable and 5 - very uncomfortable
Time frame: measured at baseline (pre drink), and every 30 minutes following consumption (up to 120 minutes).
Subjective Blood Alcohol Concentration (visual analog scale 0.0 - 0.20)
Visual analog scale with left and right anchors of 0.0 and 0.20, respectively, with markers every 0.005 increment
Time frame: measured at baseline (pre drink), and every 30 minutes following consumption (up to 120 minutes).
Blood Alcohol Concentration
Measured using a police grade portable breathalyzer
Time frame: measured at baseline (pre drink), and every 30 minutes following consumption (up to 120 minutes).
Plan to share: Yes — Deidentified data will be shared on the Open Science Framework following publication of results
Access criteria: Anyone will have access
Ran from Dec 2023 to primary completion in Apr 2025, 16 months.
Of 328 non-industry interventional studies with no phase under Alcohol Drinking, half reached primary completion within 24 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 11 and three quarters within 45. This study's 16 months is below that.
Counting every sponsor, half of 336 studies reached it within 24 months; a quarter within 10 and three quarters within 45.
How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.
This study is completed, as verified in Sep 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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Studies of the drug tested here: Ethanol
Lakehead University