Intermittent post-exercise sauna bathing improves markers of exercise capacity in hot and temperate conditions in trained middle-distance runners
Kirby NV, Lucas SJE, Armstrong OJ, Weaver SR, Lucas RAI
European journal of applied physiology · 22 citations
How it was studied
- Design
- Controlled clinical trial (classified by our AI screen)
- Studied in
- People
- Main outcome
- Health markers and function
Who paid for it
- Funding
- Independent funding
- University or hospital
- University of Birmingham
Based on 1 listed funder(s) and full-text disclosure statement.
Publication
- Published
- 2020-11-19 · Eur J Appl Physiol · vol. 121 · issue 2 · pp. 621–635
- Publisher
- Springer Science+Business Media
- Cited
- 29 citations · more than 84% of similar papers · 1.6× the field average
- References
- 55 works
- Access
- Open access (hybrid journal) · CC-BY
- Research areas
- Thermoregulation and physiological responses · Textile materials and evaluations · Muscle metabolism and nutrition
- Keywords
- Medicine, Analysis of variance, Animal science, Physical therapy, Exercise physiology, Internal medicine, Biology
- MeSH
- humans, exercise test, exercise, baths, steam bath, acclimatization, body temperature regulation, skin temperature, heart rate, physical endurance, exercise tolerance, running, adult, female, male, athletic performance, hot temperature, young adult, thermotolerance
5 authors
From GB
- Nathalie V. Kirby · correspondingUniversity of Birmingham
- Samuel J. E. LucasUniversity of Birmingham
- Oliver J. ArmstrongBirmingham City University; University of Birmingham
- Samuel R. WeaverUniversity of Birmingham
- Rebekah A. I. LucasUniversity of Birmingham
Abstract
Purpose
This study investigated whether intermittent post-exercise sauna bathing across three-weeks endurance training improves exercise heat tolerance and exercise performance markers in temperate conditions, compared to endurance training alone. The subsidiary aim was to determine whether exercise-heat tolerance would further improve following 7-Weeks post-exercise sauna bathing.
Methods
Twenty middle-distance runners (13 female; mean ± SD, age 20 ± 2 years, [Formula: see text]O2max 56.1 ± 8.7 ml kg-1 min-1) performed a running heat tolerance test (30-min, 9 km h-1/2% gradient, 40 °C/40%RH; HTT) and temperate (18 °C) exercise tests (maximal aerobic capacity [[Formula: see text]O2max], speed at 4 mmol L-1 blood lactate concentration ([La-]) before (Pre) and following three-weeks (3-Weeks) normal training (CON; n = 8) or normal training with 28 ± 2 min post-exercise sauna bathing (101-108 °C, 5-10%RH) 3 ± 1 times per week (SAUNA; n = 12). Changes from Pre to 3-Weeks were compared between-groups using an analysis of co-variance. Six SAUNA participants continued the intervention for 7 weeks, completing an additional HTT (7-Weeks; data compared using a one-way repeated-measures analysis of variance).
Results
During the HTT, SAUNA reduced peak rectal temperature (Trec; - 0.2 °C), skin temperature (- 0.8 °C), and heart rate (- 11 beats min-1) more than CON at 3-Weeks compared to Pre (all p 2max (+ 0.27 L-1 min-1; p = 0.02) and speed at 4 mmol L-1 [La-] (+ 0.6 km h-1; p = 0.01) more than CON at 3-Weeks compared to Pre. Only peak Trec (- 0.1 °C; p = 0.03 decreased further from 3-Weeks to 7-Weeks in SAUNA (other physiological variables p > 0.05).
Conclusions
Three-weeks post-exercise sauna bathing is an effective and pragmatic method of heat acclimation, and an effective ergogenic aid. Extending the intervention to seven weeks only marginally improved Trec.
Abstract via Europe PMC. Copyright remains with the authors or publisher (CC BY).
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