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528 Chama, N.E., Albuquerque, NM 87108 http://www.cbass.com |
From The Desk Of Clarence Bass
By Clarence and Carol Bass
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A Hot Bath Has Benefits Similar to Exercise
The article title (above) interested me, but I had no idea what it meant. Were they writing about muscle? They weren't. They were, however, writing about calorie burning, blood sugar control, and inflammatory response, all affected by exercise.
The health effects of passive heat therapy (like a hot bath) are new to me, but a number of countries have promoted its various forms - think saunas in Finland, for instance, where saunas are part of the Finnish heritage and identity (with 85-90% of people taking a weekly sauna). Scotland and Korea historically had similar methods. Japan has hot spring bathing that goes back 1300 years, and here in northern New Mexico there is a well-known hot spring, now resort, which has been used for hundreds of years.
A study from Loughborough University in England undertook to investigate the health effects of passive heating - in this case - a hot bath (as reported by an article online in Conversation).
14 men were assigned to a one-hour soak (40 degrees), or an hour of cycling, with the activities structured to produce a 1 degree rise in core temperature. Their caloric expenditure was measured and their blood sugar monitored for 24 hours.
As you might expect, the cycling burned more calories, but the hot soak burned about the same as a 1/2 hour walk (140). The overall blood sugar response was similar, but peak blood sugar after eating was about 10% lower with the hot bath.
As the article points out, the body's anti-inflammatory response is important because it guards against infection and illness. Importantly, the researchers found that positive changes in inflammatory response that are normally seen after exercise were found to be similar to effects of the hot bath, leading the researchers to conclude that use of passive heating on a regular basis may reduce chronic inflammation present in diseases such as type 2 diabetes.
The article points to other research - from Finland (frequent saunas reduce the risk of heart attack or stroke in men), and from the University of Oregon (regular hot baths can lower blood pressure and help circulation by raising the levels of nitric oxide).
Lastly, the article points to animal studies which may show how heating affects health. Heat shock proteins produced by the cells of the body to stress when exercising and passive heating may help the function of insulin, thus improving blood sugar control and an alternative to exercise as a therapeutic tool for those unable to exercise regularly.
So no, passive heat therapy will not help you build muscle, but it has positive effects, might help with muscle soreness and joint pain, and it may prove to be an important therapeutic tool for those who need it.
Here Laszlo catches me sunning.
September 1, 2025
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