Abstract
The purpose of this experiment was to clarify whether the soaking a single leg in hot water has an effect on physiological parameters on the contralateral leg. In addition, the optimum time periods for local heating was examined by measuring the surface skin temperature, the subcutaneous temperature, and the skin blood flow. This experiment was conducted on eleven healthy women between the ages of 21-34. They were required to sit in chair at least 30 minutes before soaking began. After that, they soaked one leg below the knee level in hot water (41-42 degrees C) for 50 minutes. After soaking, they remained seated for 20 minutes while their surface skin and subcutaneous temperature and skin blood flow of both legs was measured at the medial knee point. The major findings were as follows : First, the surface skin and the subcutaneous temperature and the skin blood flow significantly increased in both legs. Second, the peak of blood flow occurred at 35-40 minutes into soaking. These findings indicated that soaking a single leg in hot water can promote peripheral vasodilation of the contralateral leg.
