Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40611569›Full record

Trial reportPhysiological reports2025

Regular postexercise sauna bathing does not improve heart rate variability: A multi-arm randomized controlled trial.

Earric Lee, Sascha Ketelhut, Petri Wiklund, Joel Kostensalo, Iiris Kolunsarka, Hans Hägglund, Juha P Ahtiainen

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Physiological reports, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Trial
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Earric LeeFaculty of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland.ORCID 0000-0003-3490-4262
Sascha KetelhutInstitute of Sport Science, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0002-6875-9625
Petri WiklundThe Exercise Translational Medicine Center and Shanghai Center for Systems Biomedicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.ORCID 0000-0002-4595-8760
Joel KostensaloNatural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), Joensuu, Finland.ORCID 0000-0001-9883-1256
Iiris KolunsarkaFaculty of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland.ORCID 0000-0001-6631-4676
Hans HägglundSection of Hematology, Department of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0002-4382-4945
Juha P AhtiainenFaculty of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland.ORCID 0000-0003-2305-4741

Funding

Suomen Kulttuurirahasto (SKR) 00190620
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Regular exercise has been shown to increase heart rate variability (HRV) for different populations. Acute and short-term studies using heat therapy and sauna bathing have also shown HRV improvements. However, long-term adaptations in HRV to regular exercise and sauna bathing remain unexplored. In this 1:1:1 multi-arm trial, sedentary participants (n = 38) aged 49 ± 9 years with at least one CVD risk factor were randomly assigned to regular exercise and 15-min postexercise sauna (EXS), regular exercise only (EXE), or control (CON) group, for an 8-week intervention. Indices of HRV (RR interval, RMSSD, SDNN, resting heart rate [HR], HRMAX-HRMIN, high frequency power [HFP], and low frequency power [LFP]) were measured before (PRE) and after (POST) the trial. Compared to CON, EXE increased the time-domain measure of HR

Indexed as

ExerciseHeart RateSteam BathAdultFemaleHumansMaleMiddle Agedcardiovascular risk factorexercise trainingheart rate variabilityheat therapysauna bathing

Identifiers

PMID40611569
PMCPMC12231185

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.