Regular sauna bathing and the incidence of common colds.
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Controlled clinical trial without reported randomization details in the abstract
PubMed 2248758 · doi:10.3109/07853899009148930
What was done
Twenty-five volunteers participated in regular sauna bathing, while 25 control participants abstained from sauna or comparable heat procedures. In both groups, participants recorded the frequency, duration, and severity of common colds for six months.
What was found
The sauna group had significantly fewer episodes of the common cold compared to controls. This difference was particularly noted during the final three months of the six-month study, where cold incidence was roughly halved in the sauna group. Mean duration and average severity of cold episodes did not differ significantly between groups. No exact numbers, percentages, or p-values were reported in the abstract.
Why it matters
This study provides early preliminary evidence that regular sauna bathing may act as a non-pharmacological preventive measure against common cold infections.
Limits
The sample size was very small (50 participants total), and the abstract does not state whether allocation was randomized. The sauna protocol (frequency, duration, temperature) was not described, participants were not blinded, and exact numerical data were omitted.
Cited by
- supports A study showed that regular sauna bathing 1 to 2 times per week over 6 months significantly reduced the incidence of common colds in 25 participants compared to 25 controls after an initial 3-month latency period.