One of the best parts of my week is going for a post-workout sauna. It's relaxing and leaves you feeling chilled out after an intense session in the gym.
It's been a part of my recovery routine for a while now and even more so during the Ultra prep.
But what are the actual benefits?
First, let's look at where it originated.
The sauna is an icon of Finnish culture with its origins dating back to the 16th century. They were used as stove kitchens, winter shelters, shrines and, interestingly, midwiferies and hospitals.
It's no surprise Finland held the latest World Sauna Forum. Dubbed “The Most Relaxing Business Event In The World”, it’s easy to see why visitors from over 16 countries made their way to the event.
These events aren’t limited to Finland though. In the USA, the Finlandia Foundation National has an annual National Sauna Week. The Foundation celebrates Finnish culture for those of Finnish heritage living in America — the sauna being a large part.
What Is A Sauna?
These small (often wooden) rooms heat up to 65°C to 90°C. Typically, it’s dry heat used however Turkish-style use more moisture.
There are often hot rocks as part of the heating element that absorbs and radiates heat. Pouring water on the rocks gives off steam.
The Benefits
Good For Your Heart
Exposure to heat induces responses which promote cardiovascular health. The heat causes your heart rate to rise to 100 bpm or higher (equivalent to Zone 2 cardio). I've noticed my own heart rate be at 120 bpm before.
This heart rate is equivalent to the increase in heart rate found in a study comparing the use of a sauna to moderate and vigorous-intensity exercise.
Another study found the cardiac loads of those doing sauna were matched to participants performing moderate exercise.
If you have a watch which monitors your heart rate, then it may be worth doing so during your next sauna session.
Reduction Of Cardiovascular Related Mortality
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), 17.9 million die from cardiovascular diseases (CVD) each year — the number 1 cause of death globally.
Preventing CVDs has become an issue of public health however it is preventable through healthy lifestyle habits— one of which is a sauna.
One study found men using the sauna 2–3 times per week resulted in a 27% reduction in CVD mortality compared to those who used it only once.
Muscle Mass & Growth Hormone
It’s inevitable.
As we age, we’ll lose our hard-earned gains from years of working out.
By exposing your whole body to mild hyperthermia (the sauna) you can preserve or increase muscle mass.
Improving your tolerance to heat may reduce the amount of protein degradation in muscles that have experienced atrophy — commonly associated with disuse after injury. It also promotes the release of growth hormones.
This is an aspect of our bodies that changes as we age. The secretion of growth hormones declines as we get older.
One study found two 15-minute sauna sessions separated by a cooling period of 30 minutes yielded a 5x increase in growth hormone when compared to baseline levels.
If your goal is to preserve your muscle mass and hormone level in later life then the sauna may be for you.
Fitness And Endurance
Like me, you probably want to stay physically fit.
It means I have a high baseline from which I can use when preparing for events like the Ultra.
Heat stress from being in the sauna can help with improvements in your endurance.
Two 30-minute sessions per week for 3 weeks post-workout were found to improve the time for long distances runners to run to exhaustion by 32%.
This could be down to the body being able to move oxygen and carbon dioxide to the lungs more efficiently.
Mental Benefits
It’s not only your physical health affected by the sauna.
Your mental health can also be positively impacted.
A randomised study of participants with diagnosed mild depression received 4 weeks of sauna sessions. After this, their symptoms reduced.
An acute anti-depressant effect has also been reported in a study where healthy adults with depression had a single heat treatment session. The effect occurred within a week of treatment and remained for over 6.
The sauna has grown from a Finnish tradition into a staple of spas and now commercial gyms.
The effects listed above outline ways in which you could improve your health by using the sauna.
The minimum effective dose to see the benefits appears to be relatively small when compared to the long-term benefits found in various studies.
Time to get hot and sweaty!
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