Core body temperature changes after sauna exposition in healthy subjects

Abstract

Introduction. Sauna therapy has been used for hundreds of years in the Scandinavian region as a standard health activity and, during the past decades, it has also become a widely practiced wellness form in many central European countries. Sauna bathing is a special form of heat exposure characterized by a short-term exposure to exceptionally high environmental temperatures. Human body exposure to extreme environmental conditions e.g. wholebody dry sauna may modulate thermoregulation processes. Aim of this study was to analyze changes in core temperature after sauna bathing.

Material and methods. Nine males volunteered for the study. Each of the subjects had a 15- minutes exposure in a sauna (air temperature: 100 ± 10oC, humidity 34-45%).

Core body temperature measurements were done by ingestible telemetric sensor- Vital Sense system.

Results Observed changes were statistically significant (p<0.05). Mean BCT values registered before WBS was 37.05oC; after WBS 37.71 oC; 45-60 minutes after 37.3 oC; 2 hours after 37.31oC; 3 hours after 37.26oC; 4 hours after WBS was 37.35oC; 5 hours after 37.26oC; 6 hours after 37.37 oC.

Conclusions. Sauna bathing causes a core body temperature changes despite the very strong stability of that physiological mechanism. Obtained results of changes in core body temperature revealed that WBS caused an increase in core body temperature which may be sustained up to 6 hours after the procedure.