Simple bike test could catch Athletes' hidden artery blockage

NCT ID NCT05229250

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: Maxima Medical Center Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026

Summary

This study looked at whether a non-invasive cycling test, combined with a muscle oxygen monitor (NIRS), could detect a condition called flow limitation in the iliac artery (FLIA) in endurance athletes. FLIA can cause leg pain and limit performance, and early detection is difficult. Researchers compared trained cyclists with FLIA to healthy cyclists, measuring muscle oxygen and power output during exercise. The goal was to see if this simple test could help screen athletes at risk.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

What this could lead to: If successful, this could lead to a simple, non-invasive screening test to catch leg artery problems early in athletes, preventing serious injury.
What could go wrong: This is a small, early exploratory study that was terminated, so results may be limited. The test may not prove accurate enough for widespread use.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Participants

60 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Aug 2022

Finished

Dec 2023

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Who is studied

Patients will be recruited after the diagnosis of FLIA is given during weekly standard clinical care. Healthy subjects will be recruited from local cycling clubs. They completed a standardized questionnaire excluding presence of risk factors such as smoking and positive cardiovascular family history. Candidates with FLIA were excluded. Candidates who fulfilled all study criteria, served as the control group

Ages

18 to 40 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Accepted

You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Aged ≥ 18 years and ≤ 40 years * Trained cyclist or triathlete regularly training at least \~3/week for at least five years and identifying with a particular cycle-sport Exclusion Criteria: * Earlier vascular iliac surgery * Microvascular abnormalities (e.g. diabetes), * Vascular abnormalities outside of the iliac region, * Heart failure (New York Heart Association class \>I), * Orthopedic/neurological entities potentially limiting exercise capacity, * Obesity. * Adipose tissue thickness \> 7.5 mm These excluding conditions are considered as medical safety precautions to maximal exercise or as risk of unexpected pathophysiological effects confounding our primary outcome measures. It is known that a high level of adipose tissue thickness (ATT) influences the accuracy of NIRS measurement of underlying muscular tissue. A \> 7.5 mm ATT cut-off point at the site of NIRS measurement determined with a skinfold caliper (Harpenden, Baty International West Sussex, UK) was chosen. The ATT is calculated as half the skinfold thickness.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

arterial occlusion

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Iliac artery disease Iliac artery occlusion Iliac artery stenosis Near-infrared spectroscopy

Simple bike test could catch Athletes' hidden artery blockage

What the study statuses mean