Effects of Exercise Training with a Sauna Suit on Cardiovascular Health: a Proof-of-Concept Study

Introduction: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for 17.3 million deaths per annum, a figure that is projected to grow to more than 23.6 million by 2030. It has been estimated that 80% of premature heart disease can be prevented through positive modification of CVD risk factors. It has been demonstrated that systemic thermal therapy by regular administration of heat through a variety of methodologies, such as sauna or taking a warm bath, can induce a number of advantageous responses in terms of cardiovascular health. However, no studies have investigated the effects of exercise training with a sauna suit, a practical and portable alternative to other thermal treatments, on cardiometabolic risk factors. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of exercise training with a sauna suit at positively modifying cardiometabolic risk factors. Methods: Twelve men (mean ± SD: age, height, weight, percentage body fat, and VO2max = 25.3 ± 7.3 yr, 179.6 ± 5.7 cm, 78.6 ± 7.6 kg, 14.6 ± 3.3 %, and 50.4 ± 8.8 mL/kg/min, respectively) completed a 6wk exercise training program (30min sessions performed 5 days/wk at a moderate-intensity of 55-60% heart rate reserve) while wearing a sauna suit. Cardiometabolic risk factors were measured at baseline and post-program. Results: After 6wk of exercise training with a sauna suit there were significant (p < 0.05) improvements in the following cardiometabolic risk factors: percentage body fat (relative Δ -1.5%), systolic (relative Δ -1.4%) and diastolic (relative Δ -3.1%) blood pressure, triglycerides (relative Δ -15.5%), HDL cholesterol (relative Δ +6.4%), and maximal oxygen uptake (relative Δ +8.5%). Conclusions: Findings from the present study support the feasibility of exercise training with a sauna suit to improve cardiovascular health. Indeed, the present study demonstrated that regular moderate-intensity exercise training with a sauna suit elicited improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness and positive modification to several key CVD risk factors.