Can a neck collar boost brain oxygen during hard cycling?
NCT ID NCT07808710
First seen Sep 09, 2026 · Last updated Sep 10, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
Researchers at the University of Northern Iowa studied whether wearing a Q-Collar, a neck device that applies mild pressure to the jugular veins, changes the body's response to intense cycling. Eleven recreationally trained men each completed two 5-kilometer cycling time trials, one with the collar and one without. The team measured heart and breathing responses, brain oxygenation, blood lactate, perceived effort, reaction time, and how fast participants finished. The goal was to see whether the collar affects physiology, thinking, or performance during high-intensity exercise.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Q-Collar, a wearable neck device that applies mild pressure to the jugular veins
- What this could lead to
- If the collar changes brain oxygenation or effort during hard exercise, it could point toward a simple wearable that helps athletes tolerate high-intensity training.
- What could go wrong
- The study is very small, with 11 men, and tests a single short cycling effort. Any effect may be too small to matter, may not apply to women or other sports, and the collar could prove uncomfortable or have no measurable benefit.
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Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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11 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Mar 2024
- Finished
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May 2024
- Lead sponsor
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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.
- Ages
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18 to 35 years
- Sex
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Male participants only
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide 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: * Male participants * 18-35 years old * Recreationally trained * Provided written informed consent * Achieved a maximal oxygen consumption (VO₂max) classified as "good" or "excellent" during cardiopulmonary exercise testing Exclusion Criteria: * Failure to meet the required "good" or "excellent" VO₂max classification during cardiopulmonary exercise testing * Outside age range
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As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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University of Northern Iowa
Cedar Falls, Iowa, 50614, United States