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Author: Trevor Jones, Brigham Young University
The data consistently shows that exercise is the key to happiness in almost every aspect of life; its positive effects are beyond doubt. But what about when people (perhaps not voluntarily) need to sit on the sidelines for a while?
A team of researchers from Brigham Young University has discovered new details about the use of passive hyperthermia to reduce the negative effects of inactivity. Passive hyperthermia is a practice of heating muscles for therapeutic purposes. Their research shows that this process actually eliminates the nearly 30% decline in arterial health when people may become less active due to injury.
In essence, hyperthermia can protect the arterial health of individuals with reduced physical activity, just as they continue to exercise.
Jason Gifford, a professor of sports science at Brigham Young University, said: “Whenever people enter a period of less physical activity, their cardiovascular system and muscles respond by functioning decline and shrinking.” “All of this increases. Risk of cardiovascular disease. For injured people wearing casts, the elderly, astronauts, and even people in self-isolation—basically anyone in a restricted movement situation—the risk of cardiovascular disease and muscle atrophy may be Will be lowered through passive hyperthermia."
The study was recently published in the Journal of Physiology and was conducted after Gifford, sports science professors Robert Heildahl and Brad Nelson, and four students examined 21 healthy subjects who had not used their lower limbs for 10 days of. Each study participant wore restricted exercise knee pads, half received 2 hours of knee extensor hyperthermia per day, and the other half received placebo treatment. Both groups closely monitor differences in vascular health, which is a term used for vascular health.
Gifford said of people receiving placebo: “Just because they were not moving for about two weeks, some college-age subjects had arterial reactions as if they were 55 or 60 years old instead of 20.” “This is the same as that. The vascular health of the people who received heat treatment has hardly changed, which is a stark contrast."
The team uses a technique called pulsed shortwave diathermy to perform passive hyperthermia. These machines emit radio waves, which in turn heat the muscles. Put the heating machine on the patient in the muscle area being treated. This process may be a bit time-consuming, but it will not cause pain or discomfort.
By checking vascular health and the overall health of the subjects’ arteries before and after treatment, Gifford and his team were able to improve their understanding of endothelial function. It is extremely important for regulating the health of the cardiovascular system. It releases chemicals that control blood coagulation, immune function and blood vessel relaxation. Little physical activity can cause a decline in endothelial function, which increases the risk of plaque buildup, blood clots, and heart attacks.
Impairment of endothelial function, such as that seen with reduced physical activity, usually precedes the appearance of obvious symptoms of cardiovascular disease several years. Fortunately, the endothelium seems to respond well to many treatments, such as exercise and hyperthermia.
These risks prompt the team to find ways to help those who feel helpless in terms of physical activity.
The researchers plan to expand their work to examine other methods based on heat treatment. Seeing that the machines they use are not widely available, they will measure the effectiveness of more easily available thermotherapy methods, including a future study to study how sauna use affects vascular health.
"In general, exercise seems to produce many benefits that cannot be obtained with hyperthermia," Gifford said. "But looking to the future, those who cannot exercise have greater hopes for their overall health." Further exploration of hyperthermia can enhance mitochondrial function in muscles More information: Robert D. Hyldahl et al. Passive muscle heating weakened Decreased vascular function caused by limb disuse, Journal of Physiology (2021). DOI: 10.1113/JP281900 Journal information: Journal of Physiology
Citation provided by Brigham Young University: Hyperthermia can mimic some of the vascular benefits of exercise (2021, November 12), retrieved November 16, 2021, from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-11-therapy -mimic-vascular-benefits .html This document is protected by copyright. Except for any fair transaction for private learning or research purposes, no part may be copied without written permission. The content is for reference only.
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