Hot pants: The emerging field of exercise mimetics, from hospital beds to the international space station

Abstract

Partaking in regular exercise has vast psychological and physiological benefits. However, factors that promote sedentary lifestyle such as occupational obligations (desk-based work) or underlying health comorbidities can limit adherence to exercise regimes. Considering the current trends in physical inactivity, development of alternate strategies to replicate or mimic the beneficial adaptations associated with regular exercise may become a highly sought after commodity. A relevant and current example of this is the enormous market demand for glucagon-like peptide-1 drugs for the management of obesity and type-2 diabetes. The goal of this short review is to direct attention toward non-pharmaceutical strategies and specifically focuses on the topical application of heat stress to passively improve health. The review highlights important heat-induced adaptations and identifies scope for technological innovations that will allow delivery of heating interventions outside the confinement of laboratory settings.

Keywords: heat therapy; limb disuse; thermal garment.

FIGURE 1

A graphical summary for the short review. Current examples of exercise mimetics (a) heat mediated improvements in specific physiological markers (b) and potential scenarios in which heating garments maybe beneficial for preserving health status (c). Created with BioRender.com.