Intermittent post-exercise sauna bathing improves markers of exercise capacity in hot and temperate conditions in traine
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ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Intermittent post‑exercise sauna bathing improves markers of exercise capacity in hot and temperate conditions in trained middle‑distance runners Nathalie V. Kirby1 · Samuel J. E. Lucas1 · Oliver J. Armstrong2 · Samuel R. Weaver1 · Rebekah A. I. Lucas1 Received: 6 April 2020 / Accepted: 24 October 2020 © The Author(s) 2020
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, V 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 [ V 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 betweengroups 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 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. Keywords Post-exercise sauna · Thermoregulation · Exercise performance · Heat acclimation · Ergogenic aid Abbreviations 3-Weeks Tests following three-weeks intervention 7-Weeks Tests following seven-Weeks intervention ANOVA Analysis of variance Communicated by Narihiko Kondo. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-020-04541-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. * Nathalie V. Kirby [email protected] 1
University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
Performance Centre, University of Birmingham Sport, Birmingham, UK
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ANCOVA Analysis of co-variance CON Control group EPO Erythropoietin HR Heart rate HTT Running heat tolerance test Pre Pre-intervention tests RER Respiratory exchange ratio RPE Rating of perceived exertion SAUNA Sauna intervention group Trec Rectal temperature Tsk Mean weighted skin temperature TTE Time-to-exhaustion VEGF Vascular endothelial growth factor VO2max Maximal aerobic capacity
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Introduction Heat acclimation improves ex
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