Hemodynamics of postexercise versus post-hot water immersion recovery

Abstract

Hot water immersion resulted in a postintervention hypotension similar to that observed following exercise matched for time and core temperature rise, but with greater reductions in brachial retrograde shear. Heating was associated with lower heart rate, cardiac output, and mean arterial pressure than exercise. Thus, acute hot water immersion may provide similar or greater vascular changes during the hour following the intervention compared with acute exercise, but with a less taxing cardiac workload during the intervention.