Home leg heating was feasible, but walking benefits remained uncertain
Older adults generally followed a home heating program. Walking improvements were not statistically established compared with sham heating, and some participants reported minor burns.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
Home leg heating appeared feasible for sedentary older adults who completed this pilot. However, hotter trousers showed no statistically significant advantage over sham heating on the secondary outcomes. The walking result remained uncertain, and reported knee burns mean that completion and acceptability need to be considered alongside equipment safety.
This pilot primarily assessed feasibility. Adherence figures describe completers, and the authors call for improvements in device safety and usability before a larger efficacy trial.
What researchers found
Six-minute walking distance
Increases after 12 weeks: heat, 37.6 m (95% CI 14.3 to 60.8); sham, 11.5 m (95% CI -12.2 to 35.1). Between-group change test: P = 0.092.
Completion versus mobility
Following the heating schedule shows that participants could use the program. It does not establish a mobility benefit: walking-distance changes differed numerically, but the trial did not establish a statistically significant advantage.
Burns matter for feasibility
Four people in the hotter-trouser group reported minor burns around their knees. They continued participating, but these injuries help explain the authors’ call to improve equipment safety and usability.
The original publication
Feasibility of unsupervised, home-based leg heat therapy in older adults: a pilot, sham-controlled trial.
Ro B, Castanhas LG, Crenshaw F et al.
J Appl Physiol (1985) · 2025
- PubMed ID
- 40748694
- Record checked
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