Exercise + Sauna = Better Cardiovascular Function

AHA Publisher — Mon, 18 Jul 2022 07:00:03 +0000

American Physiological Society (APS) via Newswise – Rockville, Md. (July 14, 2022)—New research suggests that adding a regular 15-minute sauna to an exercise routine may improve cardiovascular risk factors more than exercise alone. The study is the first randomized controlled trial to explore the long-term combination of exercise and sauna bathing in a non-clinical population. It is published ahead of print in the American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology. “Sauna bathing is a safe and simple lifestyle modification, and steps should be taken to make it more accessible worldwide.” Previous research has found that heat exposure in the form of sauna bathing has been positively associated with cardiovascular function. However, most studies have been fairly short (between two and four weeks) and explore the response to heat therapy in athletes. Longer-term studies in people who are not as physically active have been lacking. In this new study, the research team studied adult volunteers who were between the ages of 30 and 64 years old, had “deskbound” occupations, and exercised less than 30 minutes per week. All volunteers also had at least one risk factor for cardiovascular disease, such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, obesity, smoking or family history of coronary heart disease. The volunteers were randomly placed into three groups: One group participated in resistance and aerobic exercise three times a week for 50 minutes each time. One group participated in resistance and aerobic exercise three times a week for 50 minutes each time, followed by a 15-minute sauna. A control group did not participate in exercise or sauna bathing. Sauna exposure began at 149 degrees F and was increased every two weeks by 41 degrees F. The participants were free to leave the sauna before 15 minutes if they were uncomfortable in the heat, but all of them completed each full sauna session. After eight weeks of the intervention, the researchers found an increased maximum rate of oxygen consumption—a key marker of cardiorespiratory function—in both exercise groups when compared with the control group. More importantly, the sauna group showed greater increases in the maximum rate of oxygen consumption and decreases in total cholesterol and systolic blood pressure levels than the exercise-only group. “This study opens up opportunities to investigate shorter bouts of regular exercise in conjunction with sauna use and lends support for regular sauna bathing as a possible therapeutic alternative, particularly for those with compromised exercise capacities. Sauna bathing is a safe and simple lifestyle modification, and steps should be taken to make it more accessible worldwide,” the researchers wrote. “Sauna bathing could be effectively incorporated into a range of other compatible rehabilitation settings as well,” said Earric Lee, of the University of Jyväskylä, Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences in Finland, and corresponding author of the study. To read the original article click here.

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Don’t Have Access to a Sauna? Research Reveals a SIMPLE Way to Simulate This “Heart Healthy” Habit

AHA Publisher — Wed, 16 Dec 2020 08:00:02 +0000

Sarah Middleton via NaturalHealth365 – A growing crop of scientific papers continues to reveal the incredible health benefits of sauna bathing. Unfortunately, many of us don’t have access to a sauna, nor even a hot tub … fortunately, you can still reap the benefits of heat exposure just by running yourself a hot bath. In fact, a recent observational study involving over 800 people discovered that weekly hot baths provide some impressive heart healthy benefits. New Study: Taking Regular (HOT) Baths Supports Healthy Heart and Blood Vessels … Plus, Help to Fight Hardening of the Arteries The observational study was published in June 2018 volume of Scientific Reports. Researchers from Japan – a country where hot bathing has a long history of use – collected data from 873 participants, asking them questions about how often they bathed and at what water temperature. The researchers also took various measurements from the subjects, including brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (a primarily Eastern-based method for measuring atherosclerosis) and plasma levels of a compound called B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP). BNP is a hormone secreted by heart muscles; high levels of BNP suggests the heart is not pumping effectively. After compiling and statistically analyzing the collected data, the Japanese discovered that people who reported bathing at least five times per week tend to have better heart health, as indicated by lower BNP levels and lower brachial-ankle pulse wave velocities. In their paper, the researchers also cite other studies which show that habitual hot water bathing is significantly associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and hypertension, can boost cardiovascular function in people with heart failure, and can lower heart rate, and increase cardiac output and stroke volume while reducing peripheral vascular resistance. Indeed, hot water immersion “is comparable to low-temperature sauna bathing in terms of cardiovascular effects,” they say. In addition to boosting your heart health, sauna use and hot bathing have also been suggested to: Reduce the risk of stroke Positively influence hormone balance Enhance toxin excretion via sweat Makes it easier to fall asleep Decrease stress Alleviate pain So, don’t stress if your gym is currently closed due to COVID-19 or you simply don’t have a sauna or hot tub at your disposal. If you have a bathtub, then creating your own spa-like experience at home still appears to be worth your while. This Is How Long You Should Soak in a Hot Bath to Reap the Heart Healthy Benefits, According to Japanese Researchers (Plus Two Other Ways to Optimize Your Bathing Routine) In the study, the researchers found that the mean reported duration of a bath was just 12 minutes, with a water temperature of 106°F (41°C). So, consider using this as a guideline for creating your own hot bathing routine. In addition, there are two other research-supported tips you can use to get the most out of your bath time: Add Epsom salt to your bathwater: according to Cleveland Clinic, Epsom salt helps alleviate mental and physical tension and reduces muscle fatigue (they recommend adding about 300 grams of Epsom salt into a bathtub) Take your bath about 90 minutes before bedtime: according to a 2019 paper published in Sleep Medicine Reviews, this can help you fall asleep faster by initiating a sleep-inducing change in body temperature (the hot bath actually ends up lowering your core body temperature since your pores open up to cool you off, and this low body temperature helps signal processes in the nervous system associated with sleep) Sources for this article include: MedicalNewsToday.com, NIH.gov, Nature.com, NIH.gov, ClevelandClinic.org, ScienceDirect.com To read the original article click here. For more articles from NaturalHealth365 click here.

The post Don’t Have Access to a Sauna? Research Reveals a SIMPLE Way to Simulate This “Heart Healthy” Habit appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

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Exercise + Sauna = Better Cardiovascular Function

Don’t Have Access to a Sauna? Research Reveals a SIMPLE Way to Simulate This “Heart Healthy” Habit