Who would not like to lose weight without moving a finger ... It seems impossible, and yet! A team of British researchers has revealed that you can burn as many calories while relaxing in a hot bath as you do on a 30-minute walk, and you'll also benefit your health!
According to a study from Loughborough University in the United Kingdom, taking a bath for one hour at 40 degrees would burn 130 calories, the equivalent of half an hour of walking!
As part of this study, 14 men were asked to participate in two experiments: the first consisted of one hour of cycling, the second to lie down for one hour in a 40 degree bath.
Passive warming
The aim of this study was to study the effects of increasing body temperature on the body's caloric expenditure and blood sugar level.
Participants' blood glucose was then measured 24 hours after each experiment. Dr. Faulkner, a researcher at Loughborough University, concluded with the following:
"The reaction in terms of blood sugar is the same, but the maximum blood sugar reached after eating is 10% lower when the participants took a bath than when they had exercised."
The researchers also pointed out that passive warming allowed, as much as physical activity, to reduce inflammation, a phenomenon associated with a lower capacity of the body to fight against infections and diseases.
These results suggest that episodes of repeated passive warming may help reduce chronic inflammation, which research has shown to be linked to many chronic diseases, such as cancer or type 2 diabetes.
A method used for a long time
Although this discovery is very recent, passive warming has long been practiced throughout the sauna, particularly in Scandinavia.
A study from 2015 showed that in Finland, men who frequented the sauna were less likely to suffer a heart attack or stroke.
The results corroborated by this other study from the University of Oregon, which showed the beneficial influence that hot baths can have on the regulation of blood pressure.
How can heat affect health?
Nitric oxide to regulate blood pressure and prevent diabetes
The heat on the one hand would increase levels of nitric oxide in the body, a molecule that causes the dilation of blood vessels, resulting in a drop in blood pressure.
Since type 2 diabetes is associated with a decrease in the availability of nitric oxide and its production, passive warming through the sauna or hot baths could, in addition to lowering blood pressure, allow to have a healthier nitric oxide level and prevent insulin-resistant diabetes.
Thermal shock proteins against insulin resistance
Thermal shock proteins are released by all the cells of our body when it is under stress. They are released both after physical exertion and after passive warming. Animal studies have shown that heat shock proteins have an effect on health by helping to prevent insulin resistance and regulate blood sugar levels.
Taking hot baths and going to the sauna regularly could, in addition to their relaxing effects, be good supplements to physical activity as part of a healthy lifestyle and for the prevention of certain diseases.
