Clinical Research Directory

Effects of Tart Cherry and Aronia Extract Supplementation on Selected Physiological Parameters in Endurance-Trained Men

This study will evaluate the effects of four weeks of oral supplementation with a double-standardized tart cherry (Prunus cerasus) and aronia (Aronia melanocarpa) extract on cardiovascular regulation and exercise performance in healthy endurance-trained men aged 40 to 75 years. In a randomized crossover design, 25 participants will receive CHG SPORT and placebo for four weeks each, separated by a four-week washout period. Assessments will include resting cardiovascular and respiratory measurements, cardiovascular and ventilatory responses to transient hypoxia, flow-mediated dilation, skin advanced glycation end products, cardiopulmonary exercise testing, 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure, and blood biomarkers. The study will determine whether CHG SPORT supplementation produces changes in selected cardiovascular and exercise-performance measures compared with placebo.

The Effect of Simulated Burn Injury on Post Exercise Recovery in Hot Environments

Burn survivors have difficulty thermoregulating due to reduced skin blood flow and sweating responses at the grafted sites. It has been previously shown that this impaired heat dissipation results in burn survivors experiencing higher core temperatures for a given exercise/environmental exposure compared to non-burned individuals. This also holds true with the use of simulated burn injury. When an absorbent material is applied to the skin over a desired amount of body surface area, it replicates a burn injury of the same size (i.e., simulated burn injury). A question that remains unknown is if this impaired thermoregulation in burn survivors would affect post-exercise core temperature recovery, i.e., do burn survivors recover slower than non-burned individuals upon stopping exercise. To that end, the primary objective of this project is to determine the rate at which body temperature and other markers of thermoregulation recover after a bout of exercise in the heat and if this response is different in the same individual with and without simulated burn injury.