How many calories are burned in a hot bath?

If you were asked, what is the benefit of a hot bath? Maybe what comes to mind is to keep the body clean and make the mind more relaxed. Not only that, it turns out that a hot shower can help burn calories. Even a hot bath can burn the calories equivalent to a 30-minute walk. Is that true? Check out the full explanation below, let's go.

How many calories can a hot bath burn?

A study from Loughborough University in the UK reports that taking a bath may have the same benefits as walking.

This study was conducted on 14 men who were divided into 2 groups with different activities. From there, the experts looked at how many calories were burned. The first group cycled for one hour. Meanwhile, the second group soaked in hot water for one hour.

The result was that the first group, participants who cycled, burned more calories than the second group who took a hot bath. However, an hour-long hot bath still burns about 130 calories, which is roughly the same number of calories burned during a leisurely 30-minute walk.

Why does a hot bath burn calories?

This may be because of it heat shock protein generated when you exercise and take a warm bath. Heat shock proteins is a molecule that is produced by all cells of the human body in response to pressure.

Soaking in hot water that is around 60 degrees Celsius can raise your body temperature by about one degree. Well, researchers believe that this increase in core body temperature then helps burn calories.

In addition, in the long run, increased levels of this protein can help insulin function and control blood sugar levels. So, soaking in hot water can also help people with diabetes.

The researchers checked the participants' blood sugar levels for 24 hours after the test. The results obtained were that the study participants' peak blood sugar was about 10 percent lower in the hot bath group.

So, is it okay to diet by just soaking in hot water?

Soaking in hot water is not a substitute for exercise. Why so? Diet isn't just about calories. When dieting, you also need to build muscle and stay in shape so that your weight is always stable. Well, building muscle and keeping in shape cannot be done without regular exercise. Therefore, you are still encouraged to maintain a healthy diet and exercise regularly if you want to lose weight successfully.

In addition, further studies and observations are still needed to strengthen the results of this study. This is because the number of participants in this study is very small, making it difficult to draw conclusions with certainty. Moreover, this study only involved men.

However, you can still try taking a hot bath at home for other benefits. Soaking in warm water can prevent and treat stress, improve blood circulation, relax stiff muscles, and help you sleep better at night.