Comparison of Acute Sauna With Exercise and Sauna

Standalone Sauna Versus Exercise Followed by Sauna on Cardiovascular Function in Non-naïve Sauna Users

Sauna bathing has been associated with a lower risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) outcomes, improved vascular endothelial and cardiac function, reduced oxidative stress and lower blood pressure. Earlier studies conducted by the investigators have showed positive alterations of arterial stiffness and hemodynamics through sauna bathing.

Some studies have sought to utilize sauna bathing as an intervention after exercise with promising and synergistic results, although the effects on populations with cardiovascular risk factors are less clear. Furthermore, studies investigating the use of both exercise and sauna bathing in combination has been somewhat limited. However, results from some studies speculate that adjunctive exercise and sauna interventions may be useful for aging and clinical patient population groups.

Given that heat therapy and sauna use is gaining more worldwide popularity, the investigators sought to compare the acute hemodynamic effects between sauna use alone and a short bout of exercise followed by sauna exposure. It was hypothesize that the combination of exercise and sauna will elicit greater changes than sauna alone. To achieve this, we standardized the protocol duration (30 minutes).

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Blood Pressure; Cardiovascular Risk Factor; Arterial Stiffness
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Sauna bathing; Other: Aerobic exercise

Detailed Description

In this crossover trial, all study participants underwent two interventions, each on a separate occasion (>72 hours apart). A standalone 30-minute sauna at 75°C (S), and 15-minutes of cycling on the stationary bike at 75% maximum heart rate, followed by 15-minutes of sauna exposure (ES). A cycling exercise test was conducted on a separate day prior to the experiment to ascertain individual maximal exercise heart rates, which was then used to calculate individual 75% maximum.

After the first 15-minute period of S, the participants left the sauna room to have a quick shower (<30 seconds) before going back for the second 15-minute period. The same sauna bathing room (75°C) was used for all participants and the cycling exercise was conducted within 10 meters of the sauna room to minimize transit time during ES. Participants were instructed to abstain from eating 2h, caffeine 12h and alcohol 24h prior to the measurements. Food intake was not standardized. Fluid was consumed ad libitum. A medical physician was in attendance at all times and participants were allowed to leave the sauna or stop the experiment at any time if they felt uncomfortable.

Brachial blood pressures and pulse wave velocity (PWV) as a measure of arterial stiffness, were taken in their respective order at three different time points; before (PRE), immediately after (POST), and after a 30-minute recovery (POST30). Transit time from the cessation of the intervention to POST measurements were kept under 60 seconds. All measurements were performed by the same assessor to minimize ascertainment biases.

Participants were permitted to take a quick shower (<30 seconds) before POST measurements were taken. Water temperature or the shower was not controlled and participants could freely select their desired temperature. Thereafter, they were instructed to rest in a designated waiting lounge (mean temperature 21°C) in a seated position for a duration of 30-minutes before the last measurement (POST30) was taken.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 72
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Finland
  • Keski-Suomi
    • Jyväskylä, Keski-Suomi, Finland, 40014
      • University of Jyväskylä

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 30 years to 75 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Free of a prior diagnosis of CVD, exhibits at least one of the following cardiovascular risk factors: a history of smoking, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, or family history of coronary heart disease (CHD).

Exclusion Criteria:

• recent musculoskeletal injuries or surgery (less than 6 months ago), mental illnesses, under 30 years of age or over 75 at time of recruitment, health conditions that may contraindicate study parameters.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Basic Science
• Allocation: Non-Randomized
• Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Sauna alone; Sauna exposure for 30 minutes	Other: Sauna bathing; Passive heat exposure
Experimental: Exercise and Sauna; Cycling exercise for 15 minutes followed by sauna for 15 minutes	Other: Sauna bathing; Passive heat exposure; Other: Aerobic exercise; 15 minutes of aerobic exercise using stationary bicycle

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Brachial blood pressure	Systolic and diastolic blood pressure	Single session (30 minutes)
Central blood pressure	Systolic and diastolic blood pressure measured using ECG and Pulsepen	Single session (30 minutes)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Arterial Stiffness	Pulsewave velocity (PWV)	Single session (30 minutes)
Augmentation Index	Supplement to PWV	Single session (30 minutes)

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Jyvaskyla
• Collaborators: Business Finland; Finnish Foundation for Cardiovascular Research; Harvia Finland Oy
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Jari A Laukkanen, PhD/MD, Central Finland Central Hospital

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Lee E, Laukkanen T, Kunutsor SK, Khan H, Willeit P, Zaccardi F, Laukkanen JA. Sauna exposure leads to improved arterial compliance: Findings from a non-randomised experimental study. Eur J Prev Cardiol. 2018 Jan;25(2):130-138. doi: 10.1177/2047487317737629. Epub 2017 Oct 19.
• Laukkanen T, Kunutsor SK, Zaccardi F, Lee E, Willeit P, Khan H, Laukkanen JA. Acute effects of sauna bathing on cardiovascular function. J Hum Hypertens. 2018 Feb;32(2):129-138. doi: 10.1038/s41371-017-0008-z. Epub 2017 Dec 21.
• Lee E, Willeit P, Laukkanen T, Kunutsor SK, Zaccardi F, Khan H, Laukkanen JA. Acute effects of exercise and sauna as a single intervention on arterial compliance. Eur J Prev Cardiol. 2020 Jul;27(10):1104-1107. doi: 10.1177/2047487319855454. Epub 2019 Jun 8. No abstract available.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): August 1, 2018
• Primary Completion (Actual): October 30, 2018
• Study Completion (Actual): December 1, 2018

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: September 14, 2020
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 14, 2020
• First Posted (Actual): September 21, 2020

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): September 23, 2020
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 21, 2020
• Last Verified: September 1, 2020

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Aerobic exercise; Sauna bathing; Thermal therapy; Passive heat
• Other Study ID Numbers: Sauna

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: No

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No