Study on sauna and exercise for cardiovascular function

Regular exercise and sauna bathing have each been shown to have positive effects on cardiovascular function in clinical patient groups. However, experimental data on the cardiovascular adaptations to regular exercise in combination with sauna bathing in the general population are lacking. Therefore, Earric Lee et al. compared the effects of exercise and sauna bathing with those of exercise alone in a multicenter, randomized, controlled trial.

47 participants, on average 49 years old, with low physical activity levels and at least one traditional risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD ), were randomly assigned to one of three groups. BS: exercise according to the guidelines and a 15-minute sauna session after exercise; B: exercise according to the guidelines; CON: control group

The study duration was 8 weeks. Primary endpoints were blood pressure (BP) and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF). Secondary endpoints included fat mass, total cholesterol levels and arterial stiffness.

The results showed that B resulted in a greater improvement in KRF and fat mass, but no significant change in BP compared to the control group. BS, on the other hand, led to an improvement in CRF, a reduction in systolic blood pressure and a reduction in total cholesterol levels compared to B.

Regular exercise improves cardiorespiratory fitness and body composition in physically inactive adults with CVD risk factors. In combination with exercise, sauna bathing showed a significant enhancement of the positive effects on CRF, systolic blood pressure and total cholesterol levels. Future studies should investigate the optimal duration and frequency of sauna exposure to clarify the dose-response relationship.