Key result
Whole body passive hot-water immersion (42°C bath) for 30 minutes increased femoral artery blood flow and shear rate to levels equivalent to moderate intensity exercise.
Why the study?
Few studies have compared the increase in arterial blood flow and shear rate elicited by passive heating with that elicited by dynamic continuous exercise.
Does whole body passive heating increase femoral artery blood flow and shear rate equivalently to dynamic lower body exercise?
Does whole body passive heating increase femoral artery blood flow and shear rate equivalently to dynamic lower body exercise?
Whole body passive heating via hot-water immersion elicits similar acute peripheral hemodynamic responses (femoral artery blood flow and shear rate) as moderate-intensity exercise.
Passive heating may mimic exercise shear acutely in limited-mobility patients; leaves open whether chronic adaptations or outcomes follow.
Passive heating and exercise increase blood flow through arteries, generating a frictional force, termed shear rate, which is associated with positive vascular health. Few studies have compared the increase in arterial blood flow and shear rate elicited by passive heating with that elicited by dynamic continuous exercise. We found that 30 min of whole body passive hot-water immersion (42°C bath) increased femoral artery blood flow and shear rate equivalent to exercising at a moderate intensity (∼57% HR max ).
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Amin et al. (2020) studied this question. Whole body passive hot-water immersion vs. Dynamic continuous exercise at moderate intensity (~57% HR max) was evaluated on Femoral artery blood flow and shear rate. Whole body passive hot-water immersion (42°C bath) for 30 minutes increased femoral artery blood flow and shear rate to levels equivalent to moderate intensity exercise.
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