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Completed

NCT Number: NCT04540718

Exercise and Sauna on Blood Pressure and Cardiovascular Health

The study aims to investigate the effects of including regular heat therapy when included to exercise. Specifically, participants in the sauna intervention group will undergo 15 minutes of sauna exposure immediately after a 50-minute session of exercise, 3 times a week, while participants in the exercise intervention group will follow only the same exercise protocol.

The 50-minute exercise session consists of 20 minutes of moderate intensity strength exercise, followed by 30 minutes of moderate-vigorous aerobic exercise on stationary bikes. This exercise intervention protocol was selected in order to meet and adhere to the recommended physical activity guidelines.

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Key information

Conditions

Cardiovascular Risk Factor Behavior Heat Stress Heat Stress Disorders Sedentary Behavior Wounds and Injuries

Age range

30 year–60 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

University of Jyväskylä

Jyväskylä, Central Finland, 40014, Finland

About this study

The main purpose of the experiment is to investigate the cardiovascular modulations of sauna use with respect to vascular compliance and hemodynamics. The investigators seek to understand the long-term adaptations of regular sauna bathing in conjunction with exercise, particularly in sedentary populations with cardiovascular risk factors.

Of particular interests are the cardiovascular adaptations of regular sauna bathing when used in conjunction with exercise training; which meets the recommended minimum of current physical activity guidelines. Recent studies have shown that long-term sauna use with exercise is more effective than sauna use alone in patients with chronic heart failure. However several questions pertaining to regular exercise in combination with sauna use remain to be answered, as experimental data in the general population is still lacking.

This research project aims to find out the differences (if any) in cardiovascular and hemodynamic-related outcome parameters, between regular exercise according to the minimum recommended guidelines, and the same exercise program with an additional regular 15 minute sauna session post exercise.

The training intervention will last for 8 weeks, with each session consisting of 20 minutes of moderate intensity resistance training, followed by 30 minutes of aerobic training. Participants in the exercise only group rested in the training area for 15 minutes while the exercise and sauna participants went to the sauna for 15 minutes.

Temperature of the sauna room was increased by 5 degrees celsius every fortnight starting from 65 degrees celsius; during the final 2 weeks of the intervention the sauna temperature was at 80 degrees celsius. (65, 70, 75, 80). Participants were told that they could leave the sauna room anytime they felt uncomfortable or if they wish to.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • At least one conventional cardiovascular risk factor but asymptomatic for coronary heart disease or diabetes

Exclusion criteria

  • Use of sauna more than once a week,
  • Exercise more than 30 minutes a week,
  • low blood pressure,
  • any diagnosed and/or symptomatic cardiovascular disease,
  • musculoskeletal injury,
  • any other physical or mental condition that will prohibit the participation in the experiment,
  • participation to any other study at the same time.

Treatment and study plan

Exercise

Other

50 minutes of exercise, consisting of 20 minutes of resistance followed by 30 minutes of aerobic, three times a week for eight weeks.

Other names: Exercise training

Sauna

Other

15 minutes of sauna exposure immediately after exercise intervention, three times a week for eight weeks.

Other names: Sauna bathing, Sauna exposure

Primary outcomes

  1. Hemodynamics

    Time frame: 8 weeks

    Blood pressure (systolic and diastolic)

  2. Cardiovascular fitness

    Time frame: 8 weeks

    Estimated oxygen uptake

Secondary outcomes

  1. Blood biomarker

    Time frame: 8 weeks

    Blood cholesterol (fasted)

  2. Cardiac marker

    Time frame: 8 weeks

    Augmentation Index

  3. Arterial stiffness

    Time frame: 8 weeks

    Pulse wave velocity

  4. Body fat

    Time frame: 8 weeks

    Fat mass in kilograms

Other outcomes

  1. Heart rate variability (HRV)

    Time frame: 8 weeks

    Heart rate variability

  2. Haemoglobin concentration (endothelial function)

    Time frame: 8 weeks

    Moor instrument (moorVMS) near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) will be used with a post occlusive reactive hyperaemia (PORH) protocol to assess haemoglobin concentration.

    The moorVMS-NIRS uses the established spatially resolved spectroscopy technique to measure absolute concentrations of oxygenated haemoglobin in human tissue. The system measures oxygenation using a probe which is placed in contact with the skin. Each probe consists of a detector head which contains two identical photodiodes and an emitter head which contains two near infrared light emitting diodes (LED) emitting light at approximately 750nm and 850nm. Light from the emitter head enters the tissue where it is subject to scattering and absorption. A small proportion of the incident light passes through the tissue to the photodiodes. The resulting photocurrents are amplified and acquired by the instrument.

  3. Blood flow (endothelial function)

    Time frame: 8 weeks

    Moor instrument (moorVMS) laser doppler flowmetry (LDF) will be used with a post occlusive reactive hyperaemia (PORH) protocol to assess bloodflow (flux).

    The moorVMS-LDF uses the laser doppler technique where a low power laser light is transmitted via an optic fibre to the tissue. The light is scattered by tissue and moving blood cells and its frequency is Doppler broadened. Some of the scattered light is collected by one or more optic fibres and transmitted to a photo detector. The resulting photo current is electronically processed to produce the laser Doppler flux (blood flow) signal. The average Doppler frequency shift is directly proportional to the average speed of the blood cells.

  4. Concentration of Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide (NAD)

    Time frame: 8 weeks

    Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide as measured from blood samples.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Jyvaskyla

Other

Registry information

Official study title

The Effects of Using Sauna Exposure to Augment Regular Exercise on Vascular Health and Hemodynamics

Acronym: ES2019

Important dates

Study start
2019
Primary completion
2019
Study completion
2019
First posted
Sep 7, 2020
Registry last updated
Jan 6, 2022

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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