[Sauna effect on blood oxygen transport function and proxidant/antioxidant balance in youths].

There was investigated sauna effect on blood oxygen transport function and proxidant/antioxidant balance in 18 to 22 years old males. Subjects being tested underwent thermal exposure once per week over a period of 5 months (20 procedures). There were two exposure over the course of sauna bathing (temperature 85-90 degrees C, humidity 10-15%): the first exposure lasted for 5 minutes and the second one for 10 minutes. Dry air sauna in youth's leads to respiratory alkalosis, increases pO2, decreases haemoglobin binding capacity to venous blood oxygen thus facilitating oxygen transport into body tissues. Single sauna visit results in oxidative stress (augmentation of free radical processes and deterioration of antioxidant defence mechanisms), while its manifestations being diminished after multiple thermal exposures. Increase in nitrogen monoxide formation being observed might matter for the modification of the oxygen dependent processes of the human body.