Following a series of research on the associations between sauna use and the state of health of patients, a new study published by the journal Scientific Reports has just established that taking at least five hot baths per week can improve cardiovascular health in the elderly.
Good news for those who like to relax in the midst of soap bubbles. A new study published by the journal Scientific Reports has found that taking at least five hot baths per week can improve cardiovascular health in older adults. This work follows a series of research studies on the associations between sauna use and the state of health of patients.
Indeed, a recent study found that people who did a sauna four to seven times a week had 60% less risk of stroke than those who did only one per week. Another trial just reported that the risk of hypertension was 46% lower in people who did four to seven sauna sessions per week compared to those who did just one.
Above 41 degrees
On the strength of these results, the team of Katsuhiko Kohara, a Japanese teacher-researcher (Ehime University), wanted to know what it was like for people who did not have easy access to the sauna. In the test that interests us here, the water was considered hot above 41 degrees, and the baths lasted 12.4 minutes. Of the 873 participants aged 60 to 76, 164 had undergone at least two medical examinations in the past five years.
To assess the heart health of the cohort members, the researchers took several measurements, including pulse wave velocity (atherosclerosis) and natriuretic type B peptide concentrations (cardiac load). The result: “People who took at least five hot baths per week had significantly lower markers of atherosclerosis and cardiac load than the general population at the same age,” the researchers say.
Professor Jeremy Pearson, Associate Medical Director at the British Heart Foundation in the UK, comments: “This study shows a clear association between having regular hot baths and some indicators of better heart and circulatory health. , this is just an observation, which could be linked to other lifestyle factors, such as the fact that people who take baths regularly may also be more likely to lead low-stress lives.
An hour of hot bath would have similar effects to an hour of cycling
The medical literature is more and more prolific concerning the impact of a hot bath on the body. According to another small British study published in Temperature, for example, an hour of hot bathing would have similar effects to an hour of cycling. Researchers at Loughborough University (United Kingdom) therefore recruited 14 healthy male volunteers. Some had to immerse themselves in a 40 ° C bath for an hour, others pedal for the same time. At the end of these sessions, the team observed several parameters: the number of calories consumed, blood sugar, as well as the level of two proteins that indicate inflammation.
Unsurprisingly, an ablution session does not promote calorie expenditure. Compared to cycling, bathing is less physically demanding. But it remains more favorable than half an hour of walking. In terms of blood sugar, however, swimming wins the game. Compared to an hour of cycling, it reduces the spike in blood sugar that occurs after a meal by 10%. This is linked, according to the team, to the stimulation of heat shock proteins. They are a key regulator of blood glucose.
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