Sauna Bathing

Benefits that go beyond 'sweating it out'!

The next tool in our health toolkit for discussion is an old fan-favorite: the sauna. First popularized by the Finnish people over 2,000 years ago, saunas have made their way from being a luxury item to something more and more incorporated into public gyms, health clubs, and even households. In fact, it’s known that there are currently more saunas than there are cars in Finland!

First and foremost, it’s important to note that ‘sauna’ is a rather generic term nowadays as there are a few different forms that can be utilized for similar, yet quite different, purposes. The most popular three are dry saunas, infrared saunas, and steam rooms. While I don’t want to spend too much time getting into the nuances, there are a couple key differences to point out.

First, dry saunas (typically electrically powered) utilize a heating element to heat up the air around you whereas infrared saunas directly heat the body through a certain wavelength of light they put off. On the flip side, steam rooms operate via a boiling water mechanism to create a tropic-like, very humid environment. While all three forms of heat have similar benefits as mentioned previously, the most researched and currently most recommended method for most people is the dry sauna as it can reach higher temperatures than the other two (typically 150-220+ degrees (F)).

This is not to say steam rooms and infrared saunas are bad – they just may not give you as much bang for your buck if you’re desiring the absolute most benefit from using heat as a wellness tool. Speaking of the vast benefits these tools can have, let’s dig in!

Benefits of Sauna Use:

Cardiovascular Health

One of the most profound benefits of sauna is the impact it has on our cardiometabolic health. Due to the heart rate and body temperature increase seen with sauna bathing, it’s known as an exercise ‘mimetic’ – meaning it results in similar benefits as moderate-to-vigorous exercise. HOWEVER, it’s important to point out that utilizing a sauna should be used ALONGISDE a regular activity regimen and not a SUBSTITUTE as physical activity has much broader benefits than a sauna does. Nonetheless, regular sauna use has been demonstrated to lower blood pressure, improve vascular health, and decrease insulin resistance to name just a few of the many benefits. With this, studies indicate a 25-45% decrease in hypertension risk and 25-50% (!) decrease in cardiovascular attack risk with regular sauna use.¹

Although having similar effects as exercise on our health, regular exposure to high heat environments leads to a unique benefit in that it increases the amount heat-shock proteins in our body. Without getting into too much detail, heat-shock proteins are CRITICAL for the proper functioning of all the cells in our body by assisting in the repair and regulation process of proteins which are vital building blocks as well as enzymes that control countless processes within our body. In fact, one of the major signs of cardiometabolic disease is improper protein structure.¹

Anti-Inflammatory

Chronic inflammation is well-known to have a multitude of negative effects on the body including pain, increased risk for metabolic disorders, chronic fatigue, and mood impairments. With sauna use, the high-heat environment increases circulation and helps assist in the ‘flushing out’ of this inflammation that can build up over time due to various reasons. To provide evidence for this, researchers have looked at one of the best indicators of inflammation – C -Reactive Protein (CRP) – and have found significantly lower levels in those that utilize the sauna.¹

Building off this point, saunas are proposed to have great use in the process of pain management (low back pain… anyone?) as well as recovery from exercise activity through the same mechanism. Although we want to have an acute inflammatory response to bring nutrients to heal our muscles after activity, long-term accumulation of inflammation is extremely damaging over time and saunas are a great way to prevent this from occurring.

Psychological and Cognitive Health

Moving away from the physical benefits, saunas have also been extensively researched for their impact on brain function. The impact that sauna has on inflammation, vascular health, and blood pressure discussed above carries over to the benefits that are seen in this regard. Profoundly, a study looking at over 2,000 men in Finland demonstrated that those utilizing the sauna 2-3x per week had more than a 20% reduction in developing Alzheimer’s disease and dementia whereas those utilizing the sauna 4-7x per week had more than a 60% reduction in the same!²

Unsurprisingly due to their relaxing nature, saunas have further demonstrated benefit when it comes to anxiety and depressive-like symptoms in all people, especially those who typically struggle with them. Studies have indicated that utilizing a sauna not only impacts your acute (immediate) psychological well-being, but these effects are long-lasting, especially with regular use. This is likely in part due to the impact saunas can have in the regulation of our major ‘stress’ hormone, cortisol.^3,4

How should you apply this information?

While utilizing a sauna may not seem feasible to some due to lack of access, I highly recommend choosing your gym largely based on whether it contains a sauna or not. Due to their increasing popularity, more and more gyms are choosing to incorporate saunas in locker rooms which is fantastic to see.

When you begin, start with 5 minutes, and gradually build the time you remain in the sauna up to 15-30 minutes over time with increasing comfort while also understanding that the end of the sauna SHOULD be mildly uncom

fortable. Ideally, you would utilize the sauna 2-5x or more per week but once is better than not at all! Although most saunas will come pre-set with a temperature, you will get the most benefit if the sauna is in the 165-200 degree range. Understand that higher temperatures take time to adapt to and safety is of upmost priority!

As always, reach out with any questions you may have on sauna bathing!

Quote of the week:

“Good things come to those who sweat”

Works Cited:

1.     DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18031105

2.     DOI: 10.1093/ageing/afw212

3.     DOI: 10.1159/000493392

4.     DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2016.1031

DISCLAIMER

-       This is NOT Medical advice. Consult your medical professional before starting any supplement, diet regimen, or workout program.