NCT05632692

Menthol Mouth Rinsing and Performance Responses of Elite Football Referees in the Heat

Status unknown NA Last updated 30 November 2022

What this trial tests

NA trial testing Menthol solution in Exercise Induced Hyperthermia in 10 participants. Status unknown.

Timeline

10 April 2023

Primary endpoint
1 May 2023

1 June 2023

Quick facts

Lead sponsor	Universidade do Porto
Phase	NA
Status	Status unknown
Study type	INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation	randomized
Design	crossover
Masking	double
Primary purpose	prevention
Enrollment	10
Start date	10 April 2023
Primary completion	1 May 2023
Estimated completion	1 June 2023

Drugs / interventions tested

• Menthol solution

Conditions studied

• Exercise Induced Hyperthermia — all drugs for Exercise Induced Hyperthermia →
• Performance Demands of Exercising in the Heat — all drugs for Performance Demands of Exercising in the Heat →

Sponsor

Universidade do Porto — full company profile →

Who can join

Adults 18 to 45, male only, with Exercise Induced Hyperthermia or Performance Demands of Exercising in the Heat. Patients with the condition only — healthy volunteers not accepted.

Sponsor's own description

Ten male football referees will be recruited to perform two intermittent football protocols , separated by at least 7 days (wash-out period). After passing the eligibility criteria, the participants will be randomly assigned, according to a computer-generated allocation schedule, to 1 of 2 beverages sequences: (1) intervention - menthol solution 0.01% (room temperature) and (2) placebo - noncaloric berry-flavoured solution (room temperature). The participants will be provided with one of the 2 beverages before warm-up (pre-cooling) and at the half-time (per-cooling). The trials will follow a randomised counterbalanced crossover design, blinded to the participants, and will take place in indoor facilities, where WBGT exceed 30◦C, at the same time of the day, to control for circadian variations. Each trial involves an exercise protocol (SAFT-90), lasting 90 minutes, separated into two 45-minute parts. The first half will be preceded by a warm-up and the second half by a 15-minute break.

The results of this study are expected to determine whether mouth rinsing a menthol solution, before a football exercise protocol performed in the heat, will help to alleviate physiological strain and improve performance parameters, comparing to a non-cooling strategy, in elite male football referees. Thus, we can be closer to defining nutritional strategies of internal cooling, that will be an advantage for the performance of the football referees, concretely in the competitions carried out under adverse environmental conditions.

Publications & conference data

2 peer-reviewed publications reference this trial (live from Europe PMC):

1. The effect of menthol rinsing before intermittent exercise on physiological, physical, and thermo-behavioral responses of male football referees in hot and humid environment.
   Roriz M, Brito J, Teixeira FJ, Spyrou K, et al · · 2024 · cited 2× · PMID 38318484 · DOI 10.3389/fspor.2024.1334739
2. Menthol mouth rinsing and performance in elite football referees in the heat: A study protocol for a randomized crossover trial.
   Roriz M, Brito J, Teixeira FJ, Spyrou K, et al · · 2023 · cited 1× · PMID 37691850 · DOI 10.1016/j.conctc.2023.101202