The Effect of Bathing in the Thermal Mineral Water on the Pain and Performance of Athletes

NCT ID: NCT07005375

Last Updated: 2025-06-08

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: ENROLLING_BY_INVITATION
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 30 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2024-07-01
• Study Completion Date: 2025-12-31

Brief Summary

Effect of bathing in the thermal mineral water well on the performance and potential pain of athletes. Randomized, controlled, single-blind study.

Detailed Description

In rowing sports, where the same series of movements are repeated thousands of times, the lower lumbar region is the most stressed part. Because of this, even training on an ergometer can cause numerous lower back problems, even among competitors. In addition, rowers use many muscle groups during their sport, for which the beneficial effect of thermal medicinal waters, affecting the entire musculoskeletal system, can be beneficial, and is used for rehabilitation purposes in several countries.

Studies describe the numerous positive effects of bathing in warm water (37-46°C) in increasing blood flow, regulating blood sugar, and even the positive response of the vascular system.

The Palatinus Spa's water supply is provided by the drilled thermal wells of Margit Island of Budapest.

Regarding its type, the medicinal water is a low salt concentration, calcium-magnesium-hydrogen carbonate, chloride, and sulfate medicinal water, which also has a significant fluoride and metasilicic acid content. The total dissolved mineral content is 1205 mg/liter. In the study, we would conduct the clinical trial necessary for the "Margaret Island mineral water" / 37-38 °C / thermal mineral water of the Margitszigeti É. III well to be declared medicinal water.

Research Question Primary objective: Effect of bathing in the "Margaret Island mineral water" thermal mineral water of the Margaret Island III well on the performance and potential pain of athletes. Randomized, controlled, single-blind study.

Secondary objective: To what extent does thermal water treatment lead to a change in the quality of life of those receiving it compared to their initial condition, and what is the magnitude of this change compared to the control group?

Conditions

Low Back Pain; Fatigue Recovery; Performance Measures

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: OTHER
• Blinding Strategy: SINGLE

Study Groups

Athletes/rowing

Patients were enrolled if they met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The classification would be based on a randomization list. Measurements, clinical examinations, and evaluation of pain and functional status-related quality of life will be performed before, immediately after the treatments, and 3 months later. One group will bathe in a pool filled with 36°C thermal mineral water of the Palatinus Spa for 3 weeks, 5 days a week, for a total of 15 sessions, 20 minutes per session. Bathing in the thermal mineral water takes place in the medicinal water pool. The control group does not receive balneotherapy. Both groups can continue their usual training plan. The thermal mineral water-treated group and the control group may not receive systemic or locally administered steroid therapy during the study, and the control group may not receive balneotherapy.

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

thermal mineral water bath

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

One group will bathe in a pool filled with 36°C thermal mineral water of the Palatinus Spa for 3 weeks, 5 days a week, for a total of 15 sessions, 20 minutes per session. Bathing in the thermal mineral water takes place in the medicinal water pool. The control group does not receive balneotherapy. Both groups can continue their usual training plan.

Athletes

One group will bathe in a pool filled with 36°C thermal mineral water of the Palatinus Spa for 3 weeks, 5 days a week, for a total of 15 sessions, 20 minutes per session. Bathing in the thermal mineral water takes place in the medicinal water pool. The control group does not receive balneotherapy. Both groups can continue their usual training plan.

Rowers coming from the surrounding area, with registration at the Hungarian Rowing Federation

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

thermal mineral water bath

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

One group will bathe in a pool filled with 36°C thermal mineral water of the Palatinus Spa for 3 weeks, 5 days a week, for a total of 15 sessions, 20 minutes per session. Bathing in the thermal mineral water takes place in the medicinal water pool. The control group does not receive balneotherapy. Both groups can continue their usual training plan.

Interventions

thermal mineral water bath

One group will bathe in a pool filled with 36°C thermal mineral water of the Palatinus Spa for 3 weeks, 5 days a week, for a total of 15 sessions, 20 minutes per session. Bathing in the thermal mineral water takes place in the medicinal water pool. The control group does not receive balneotherapy. Both groups can continue their usual training plan.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Other Intervention Names

water; thermal water; mineral water

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Rowers coming from the surrounding area, with registration at the Hungarian Rowing Federation (MESZ), including competitive/touring and recreational/masters rowers
• Women and men between 18 and 75 years of age
• Participating in regular training for at least 6 months
• Signed informed consent form prior to the start of the study

Exclusion Criteria

• Acute pain;
• Organic neurological deficit;
• Malignancy in the background;
• Pain attributable to inflammatory disease;
• Participants must not have received systemic or local steroid therapy, physiotherapy as a course of treatment, massage therapy, or balneotherapy as a course of treatment within 3 months prior to the study;

General contraindications of balneotherapy:

• unstable angina pectoris,
• uncontrolled hypertension,
• cardiac decompensation,
• respiratory failure,
• unbalanced endocrinological disease,
• acute febrile condition,
• infectious skin diseases,
• other serious internal, urogenital, and other diseases, urinary and fecal incontinence,
• decompensated psychosis and neurosis, lack of compliance

• Minimum Eligible Age: 14 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 75 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

Polyclinic of the Hospitaller Brothers of St. John of God, Budapest

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Tamas Gati

MD

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Locations

Hospital Budai Irgalmasrendi Kórház Nonprofit Kft.

Budapest, Budapest, Hungary

Countries

Hungary

Other Identifiers

NNGYK/GYSZ/3848-8/2024

Identifier Type: OTHER

Identifier Source: secondary_id

Medicinal Water and Rowing

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id