Hot water leg baths after exercise to lower overnight blood pressure
Post-exercise Hot Water Immersion to Improve Blood Pressure Control
This trial will test whether soaking your legs in hot water after exercise lowers overnight blood pressure in people with mildly elevated blood pressure.
Quick facts
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 20 (estimated) |
| Ages | 18 Years to 50 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | Providence College Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Providence, Rhode Island) |
| Trial ID | NCT06348225 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
Participants will complete four crossover visits: 30 minutes of treadmill walking followed by a 45-minute lukewarm leg bath, 30 minutes of walking followed by a 45-minute hot (42°C) leg bath, a 45-minute hot leg bath alone, and a control day with no exercise or bath. After each condition, researchers will measure overnight blood pressure, heart rhythm variability, and vascular function (flow-mediated dilation) to compare effects. The design tests whether combining exercise with post-exercise heat produces greater overnight blood-pressure lowering than either intervention alone. Results will also help determine whether changes come from systemic autonomic shifts, local blood-vessel changes, or both.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Adults with resting blood pressure above 120/80 mmHg who are not on blood-pressure medications, have a BMI between 18 and 39.9, and can walk briskly for 30 minutes are ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People with diagnosed hypertension taking antihypertensive medications, a history of heat-related illness, or those with normal blood pressure are unlikely to receive benefit from this protocol.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If effective, the intervention could provide a simple, non-drug way to lower overnight blood pressure and potentially slow progression to hypertension.
How similar studies have performed: Small preliminary studies and growing interest in passive heat therapy have shown promising blood-pressure effects, but larger and mechanistic trials remain limited.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * resting blood pressure \>120/80 mmHg; measured at screening visit * BMI between 18-39.9 * capable of walking 30 min at a moderate intensity on a treadmill Exclusion Criteria: * diagnosed hypertension * taking antihypertensive medications * history of heat injury or heat illness
Where this trial is running
Providence, Rhode Island
- Providence College — Providence, Rhode Island, United States (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Brett R Ely, PhD — Providence College
- Study coordinator: Kris A Monahan, PhD
- Email: kmonaha6@providence.edu
- Phone: 401.865.2554
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.