Does Vitamin C Increase the Body Heat Generated By The Nervous System?

NCT ID: NCT07341308

Last Updated: 2026-01-14

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: RECRUITING
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 20 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2025-03-17
• Study Completion Date: 2026-12-08

Brief Summary

The goals of this clinical trial are to determine whether or not vitamin C is able to: (1) increase the body heat generated by the sympathetic nervous system; and, (2) increase circulating vitamin D concentration during sympathetic nervous system stimulation in adult humans aged 18-40 years who meet the criteria for overweight based on body mass index. The main question it aims to answer are:

1. By how much does body temperature increase during stimulation of beta-adrenergic receptors when vitamin C is given.

2. By how much does circulating vitamin D concentration increase during stimulation of beta-adrenergic receptors when vitamin C is given.

Participants will will be asked to:

• undergo measures of body temperature
• have blood sampled on two separate occasions: once during stimulation of beta adrenergic receptors, and once during stimulation of beta-adrenergic receptors while also been given vitamin C.

Detailed Description

Participants will be required to visit the lab twice. During each visit, beta-adrenergic receptors will be stimulated with isoproterenol. The two visits are identical in every way with one exception: during one visit the isoproterenol will be delivered with saline only, and during the other visit the isoproterenol will be delivered with saline and vitamin C. The order of the visits will be randomized. Body temperature will be measured with a thermometer and a thermal camera. venous blood will be sampled and circulating vitamin D concentration will be quantified.

Conditions

Metabolism Changes; Vitamin D

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: CROSSOVER
• Primary Study Purpose: BASIC_SCIENCE
• Blinding Strategy: SINGLE

Study Groups

Response to beta-adrenergic stimulation without vitamin C

Isoproterenol will be infused with saline only

Group Type: NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Adding vitamin C to beta-adrenergic receptor stilmulation

Isoproterenol will be infused with vitamin C

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Vitamin C

Intervention Type: OTHER

Vitamin C will be co-infused with isoproterenol

Interventions

Vitamin C

Vitamin C will be co-infused with isoproterenol

Intervention Type: OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Age 18-40 years (inclusive)
• Body mass index greater than or equal to 25 kg/m2 and less than 30 kg/m2
• Weight stable (no change in body mass greater than 5 Lbs. within the previous 6 months.
• Willing to abstain from caffeine and alcohol for 24-hours prior to two different study visits
• Competency in English as assessed by comprehension of the Informed Consent. This is study involves invasive procedures and infusion of a systemic vasoactive agent (isoproterenol); for safety reasons, the ability for clear and rapid communication will be necessary between the research participants and the investigators.

Exclusion Criteria

• History of autonomic, cardio-pulmonary, and/or metabolic disease (including heart failure, hypertension, arrhythmia, vascular disease, and/or diabetes)
• Pregnancy or breast feeding
• Habitual use of tobacco/nicotine products or recreational drugs (2 or more uses within the previous month)
• History of a "sulfite allergy" as it is a relative contraindication to isoproteronol use.
• Has ingested vitamin supplements and/or antioxidant supplements during the previous 4-weeks (e.g. Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Multi-vitamins, etc.)

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 40 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

Colorado State University

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

Christopher Bell, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Colorado State University

Locations

Colorado State University

Fort Collins, Colorado, United States

Site Status: RECRUITING

Countries

United States

Central Contacts

Christopher Bell, PhD

Role: CONTACT

christopher.bell@colostate.edu

9704917522

Taylor Ewell, M.S.

Role: CONTACT

Taylor.Ewell@colostate.edu

9704913495

Facility Contacts

Christopher Bell, PhD

Role: primary

christopher.bell@colostate.edu

9704917522

Taylor Ewell, MS

Role: backup

Taylor.Ewell@colostate.edu

9704913495

Other Identifiers

6115

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id