Dopamine and Muscle Function in the Heat

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

UNKNOWN

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

6 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2018-04-20

Study Completion Date

2021-12-31

Brief Summary

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our goal is to study the effects of dopamine activity, using Ritalin ingestion, on neuromuscular function over the course of a progressive heating and cooling protocol developed in our lab. We hypothesize that Ritalin will minimize the previously reported progressive impairment in neuromuscular function with hyperthermia compared to placebo, suggesting that dopamine activity preserves neuromuscular capacity with hyperthermia.

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Detailed Description

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Increased core temperature (hyperthermia) has been associated with impaired neuromuscular performance, with the majority of research suggesting that the observed fatigue is related to the central nervous system. Small doses of Ritalin has been used to study how changes in dopamine activity affects exercise capacity in the heat. This study found that 20 mg of Ritalin had no effect on exercise capacity in a thermoneutral environment of 18°C. However, when in a hot (30°C) environment, the Ritalin resulted in a 16% improvement in finishing time compared to the placebo trial. Interestingly, the higher output during the Ritalin-hot condition also resulted in higher rates of heat production and a higher (\~0.6°C) core temperature, suggesting that dopamine enabled greater voluntary tolerance of hyperthermia. This matches recent work from our own work showing that motivational skills training increased both exercise tolerance and final core temperature, and it is possible that dopamine activity played a role in this improvement.

Ultimately, fatigue is shown in an inability to sustain muscular force. However, the role of dopamine activity on neuromuscular function (e.g., central activation and recruitment of muscle) during hyperthermia is unknown. One study reported that 20 mg of Ritalin did not alter neuromuscular function, but this study was done without thermal stress.

Therefore, our goal is to study the effects of dopamine activity, using Ritalin ingestion, on neuromuscular function over the course of a progressive heating and cooling protocol developed in our lab. We hypothesize that Ritalin will minimize the previously reported progressive impairment in neuromuscular function with hyperthermia (5, 7) compared to placebo, suggesting that dopamine activity preserves neuromuscular capacity with hyperthermia.

Conditions

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Muscle Force Hyperthermia

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

SINGLE_GROUP

Healthy males 18-30 years of age

Primary Study Purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

Blinding Strategy

SINGLE

Investigators

Double-blinding of participant and investigator, with independent investigator in charge of placebo and drug.

Study Groups

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Ritalin

20 mg Ritalin, 90 min before testing

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Ritalin 20 mg Tablet

Intervention Type DRUG

Single dose for all participants

Control

Identical size/taste placebo pill, 90 min before testing

Group Type PLACEBO_COMPARATOR

Placebo Oral Tablet

Intervention Type DRUG

Placebo with same appearance/taste

Interventions

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Ritalin 20 mg Tablet

Single dose for all participants

Intervention Type DRUG

Placebo Oral Tablet

Placebo with same appearance/taste

Intervention Type DRUG

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* High aerobic fitness (\>55 mL/kg/min maximal aerobic capacity)

Exclusion Criteria

* diagnosed cardiovascular, respiratory and/or neuromuscular disease, prescription of Ritalin or any drugs for hyperactivity within the past 1 year, any current prescription medication (except for asthma/allergy inhalers), any contraindications to Ritalin.

Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

30 Years

Eligible Sex

MALE

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes