Heat and Exercise in Aging as Therapy (HEAT)

The main goal of this two-phase clinical trial is to learn whether local heat therapy, using heat pads applied to the legs, can enhance skeletal muscle health, physical function, and blood sugar control in a manner comparable to exercise, specifically High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), in older individuals with prediabetes. The study aims to answer the following questions: 1. Does local heat therapy improve muscle architecture (e.g., muscle cross-sectional area, capillary density, mitochondrial content), glucose tolerance, and frailty indicators similarly to HIIT in older individuals with prediabetes? 2. Does local heat therapy as a pre-conditioning method enhance the skeletal muscle response to HIIT in older individuals with prediabetes?

NCT Number	NCT06580964
Lead Sponsor	Texas Tech University
Conditions	Prediabetic State
Enrollment	54 participants
Start Date	2025-11-06
Primary Completion	2029-01-31 (estimated)
Study Completion	2029-07-31 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2026-06-23