Effect of a 4-week Post-exercise Sauna Bathing on Targeted Gut Microbiota

Poznan University of Physical Education

Status: Completed

Conditions: Healthy Males

Treatments: Diagnostic Test: The same exercise training program without the sauna treatments; Diagnostic Test: The exercise 60 minutes, 3 times per week, on a bicycle ergometer followed by a 30-minute dry Finish sauna treatment.

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05277597

PoznanUPhyEd 25.02.2020

Details and patient eligibility

About

Body temperature fluctuations induced by acute exercise bouts may influence the intestinal barrier with related effects on epithelial permeability, immune responses, and release of metabolites produced by the gut microbiota.

Full description

Untrained males aged 22±1.5 years were randomly assigned to exercise training (ET) with or without post-exercise sauna treatments (S). Participants in the group ET+S (n=8) exercised 60 minutes, 3 times per week, on a bicycle ergometer followed by a 30-minute dry Finish sauna treatment. The control group (ET, n=7) engaged in the same exercise training program without the sauna treatments. Blood and stool samples were collected before and after the 4-week training program. Blood samples were analysed for the concentration of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and complete blood counts. Stool samples were analysed for pH, quantitative and qualitative measures of targeted bacteria and fungi, zonulin, and secretory immunoglobulin A. This study evaluated the effects of post-exercise sauna bathing in young men undergoing endurance training on gut bacteria inflammation and intestinal barrier function. Investigators hypothesized that sauna bathing applied immediately after a physical training session may impact homeostatic control of the gut microbiota and the function of the intestinal barrier.

Enrollment: 15 patients

Sex: Male

Ages: 18 to 25 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• absence of medical contraindications such as epilepsy,addiction to medicines, alcohol and drugs, cancer, blood clotting disorders,
• no infections in the last 4 weeks prior to the study,
• no injuries in the last 4 weeks prior to the study.

Exclusion criteria

• the intake of antibiotics, steroids, oral antifungal agents (except for topical antifungals), antiparasitic agents, pre- and/or probiotics,
• history of travel to tropical countries during the last 4 weeks before the study,
• history of adverse responses to sauna bathing.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Diagnostic

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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15 participants in 2 patient groups

The group (ET+S )

Experimental group

Description:

Participants exercised 60 minutes, 3 times per week, on a bicycle ergometer followed by a 30-minute dry Finish sauna treatment.

Treatment:

Diagnostic Test: The exercise 60 minutes, 3 times per week, on a bicycle ergometer followed by a 30-minute dry Finish sauna treatment.

The group (ET)

Active Comparator group

Description:

Participants exercised 60 minutes, 3 times per week

Treatment:

Diagnostic Test: The same exercise training program without the sauna treatments