Skin rubdown with a dry towel, ‘kanpu-masatsu' is an aerobic exercise affecting body temperature, energy production, and the immune and autonomic nervous systems

Skin rubdown using a dry towel (SRDT) to scrub the whole body is a traditional therapy for health promotion. To investigate its mechanism, 24 healthy male volunteers were studied. Body temperature, pulse rate, red blood cells (RBCs), serum levels of catecholamines and cortisol, blood gases (PO2, sO2...

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Published in:Biomedical Research 2012, Vol.33(4), pp.243-248
Main Authors: Watanabe, Mayumi, Takano, Osamu, Tomiyama, Chikako, Matsumoto, Hiroaki, Kobayashi, Takahiro, Urahigashi, Nobuatsu, Abo, Toru
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acid base balance
Adult
Autonomic Nervous System - physiology
Blood Gas Analysis
Blood Glucose
Body Temperature - physiology
Catecholamines - blood
Energy Metabolism
Erythrocyte Aggregation
Erythrocyte Count - methods
Exercise - physiology
Exercise Therapy - methods
Granulocytes - physiology
Heart Rate - physiology
Humans
Hydrocortisone - blood
Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
Immune System - physiology
Lactic Acid - analysis
Male
Massage
Middle Aged
Neutrophils - physiology
Skin - metabolism
Skin Physiological Phenomena
Young Adult
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Summary:Skin rubdown using a dry towel (SRDT) to scrub the whole body is a traditional therapy for health promotion. To investigate its mechanism, 24 healthy male volunteers were studied. Body temperature, pulse rate, red blood cells (RBCs), serum levels of catecholamines and cortisol, blood gases (PO2, sO2, PCO2 and pH), lactate and glucose, and the ratio and number of white blood cells (WBCs) were assessed before and after SRDT. After SRDT, pulse rate and body temperature were increased. PO2, sO2 and pH were also increased and there was no Rouleaux formation by RBCs. Lactate level tended to increase, whereas that of glucose did not. Adrenaline and noradrenaline levels increased, indicating sympathetic nerve (SN) dominance with increase in granulocytes. WBC number and ratio were divided into two groups according to granulocyte ratio (≤ or < 60%) before SRDT: a normal group and a SN group. Only in the SN group did the granulocyte ratio decrease and the lymphocyte ratio and number increase after SRDT. It is suggested that SRDT is a mild aerobic, systemic exercise that might affect the immune system via the autonomic nervous system.
ISSN:0388-6107
1880-313X
DOI:10.2220/biomedres.33.243