The damage mechanisms and limits of superconducting magnet components due to direct beam impact are not well understood. The energy deposition from beam losses can cause significant temperature rise and mechanical stress in the magnet coils, which can lead to a degradation of the insulation strength and critical current of the superconductor. An improved understanding of these mechanisms is not only important for the LHC in view of the planned increase in beam brightness, but also for other high energy accelerators using superconducting magnets. An experimental road map has been defined to study these damage mechanisms. Experiments have been performed with Nb-Ti and Nb3Sn strands and cable stacks at room temperature. This contribution focuses on the experimental study on the effect of millisecond heating on superconducting strands.