Sauna

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If the benefits of sauna were put into a pill, it would be the most powerful longevity drug on the planet! Sauna is a form of adaptive stress or “good stress,” taking the body out of its comfort zone and resulting in a cascade of transformative benefits on a genetic, cellular, muscular and full body level!

Using a sauna 4+ times a week can reduced your risk of cardiovascular mortality by 50%

Using a sauna 2-3 times a week reduced cardiovascular mortality rates by 30%

Regular sauna bathing can reduce the risk of stroke by 60%

Sauna use can lower your risk of developing Alzheimer’s or dementia by 65%

Regular sauna bathing can reduce all cause mortality by 40%

Sauna: PRO TIPS

Replenishing Water & Electrolytes

The average person loses about 1 pint of fluid during a short time in the sauna(5), so it’s important to hydrate before and after sauna. And it’s not just water, your body sweats out, but important electrolytes as well. Electrolytes, such as sodium, potassium and magnesium, are essential minerals that play a crucial role in maintaining fluid balance, supporting nerve and muscle function, and regulating our body’s pH levels. To enjoy sauna benefits and leave feeling your best, replenish both water electrolytes .

Do not go from the sauna straight to the cold plunge

Shower off, and wait a minute for your blood vessels to reset to avoid a rapid change in blood pressure leading to dizziness

Frequency

Sauna is dose dependent, meaning the more you sauna bathe per week, the better the health outcomes. For example, people who sauna bathe 2-3 times a week see a 27% reduction in cardiovascular mortality, but people who sauna bathe 4-7 times a week see a 50% decrease in cardiovascular mortality. People who sauna bathed 2-3 times a week saw a 23% decrease in all cause mortality, while people who saunad 4-7 times a week saw a 40% decrease in all cause mortality. More is better!

Min/Max exposure times

Studies show that sauna is also duration dependent. Start off slow with the sauna and build up tolerance. First-time users should start with 10 minutes of sauna use and increase their duration as their bodies adjust to the heat. For maximum benefits found in the research, sauna bathe for 20 minutes (6). Healthy people who are acclimated to using a sauna already may be able to extend this to 30 minutes, so long as they do not feel fatigued and are replenishing water and electrolytes (7).

General precautions / contraindications

Avoid alcohol and medications that may impair sweating and produce overheating before and after your sauna.
Stay in no more than 15–20 minutes.
Cool down gradually afterward.
Drink two to four glasses of cool water after each sauna.
Don't take a sauna when you are ill, and if you feel unwell during your sauna, head for the door.

People with uncontrolled high blood pressure and heart disease should check with their doctors before taking a sauna.

Two people enjoying a sauna at Breathe Degrees

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Sauna deep dive

Click to the left on each of the benefits to see how regular sauna use ups your cardiovascular, immune, physical, mental and longevity game!

Sauna is moderate intensity exercise without having to lift a finger

When you sit in the sauna, your heart rate elevates to 100-150 beats per minute. Plasma volume expands and increases, and blood flow increases to the heart, lowering cardiovascular strain (10). This mimics physiological and protective responses induced during exercise and improves HRV (11). It’s no wonder why regular sauna bathers 4+ times a week reduced their risk of cardiovascular mortality by 50%. Those who used the sauna 2-3 times a week reduced their cardiovascular mortality rates by 30% (12) by literally just sitting on your bum and sweating!

Sauna bathing improves and lowers blood pressure

Constant high blood pressure is dangerous because it increases the heart's workload, causing the heart muscle to thicken and become stiffer. This stiffening of the heart muscle is not normal and causes the heart to function abnormally. It also increases your risk of stroke, heart attack, kidney failure (13) and congestive heart failure. The risk of developing elevated blood pressure is nearly 50% lower in people who sauna 4+ times a week compared to people who only sauna once a week (14). Recent research also found that pairing sauna + exercise have powerful benefits together. Using sauna for 15 minutes after a workout, three times a week, results in a more significant improvement in blood pressure than exercise alone (15) Regular sauna bathing can reduce the risk of stroke by 60% (16).

Sauna bathing lowers cholesterol. High blood cholesterol

— a waxy substance in your cells — is a major risk factor for heart disease. Lowering your total blood cholesterol by 10% can decrease your risk of heart disease by 30%. The good news is that sweating can raise your good cholesterol levels (HDL) to improve your total cholesterol (17). Exercise will certainly help you work up a sweat, and sauna bathing on its own can also reduce total cholesterol levels. But combining the two — sitting in a sauna after your workout — has a more significant effect on total cholesterol.

Sauna bathing promotes cellular longevity and restores your body’s vitality. It’s like tapping into the fountain of youth!

Sauna bathing activates FOXO3 genes, a master regular of stress resistance in the body. Our body undergoes stress on a cellular level every day from oxidative stress due to metabolism, sun exposure, carcinogens in our food and air etc, all of which can damage DNA. Damaged DNA can lead to mutations and then cancer. FOXO3 activates genes that repair DNA damage, trigger death in mutated and senescent cells (aged cells that secrete inflammatory markers and age the cells around it), and improve stem cell function (18), playing an integral part in both tumor suppression and cellular longevity (19). In fact, regular sauna bathing can reduce all cause mortality by 40% (20).

Sauna bathing Improves mood, decreases anxiety and depression

Heat exposure causes the release of dynorphin, which results in the body’s sensitization to endorphins. Endorphins are often described as the “feel good” hormone as their direct function is to relieve pain and stress. Heat therapy can produce a feeling of calm, happiness, and well-being, which can support the mitigation of mental health symptoms such as depression and anxiety (21).

Sauna bathing supports cognitive health and significantly protects against Alzheimer’s disease, dementia and other neurodegenerative diseases

The sauna releases heat shock proteins (HSPs), which are incredible in preserving cell longevity, protecting the integrity of protein structures and clearing the body of damaged, aggregated proteins in the brain. In fact, sauna use four to seven times a week can lower your risk of developing Alzheimer’s or dementia by 65%! (22) Protective effects of HSPs are also seen with Parkinson's disease and cardiovascular disease (23).

Sauna can help detox the body from pesticides, heavy metals to phthalates and pesticides

The heightened state of perspiration aids in flushing out toxins, effectively supporting your body's detoxification process.

The sauna promotes mitochondrial proliferation

Mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell, making your body’s energy currency, ATP. So more mitochondria = more ATP = more energy available for your body to fuel your workouts, work and other endeavors (28).

Sauna bathing promotes reduction in systemic inflammation

If used frequently and on a regular basis, could have long lasting effects (29). In fact, in a study completed with 2269 participants, frequent sauna sessions significantly decreased levels of inflammatory markers at baseline and 11-year follow-up (30).

Sauna post exercise promotes muscle recovery!

When you expose your body to heat, your muscles relax better, which first and foremost relieves tension and soreness. It also increases your blood circulation, in fact blood flow nearly doubles in a sauna (31), meaning your muscles will be exposed to more oxygen-rich blood and remove more ‘waste’ back to the kidneys. This improved ‘waste leads to faster recovery, less soreness, and overall improved tissue health, which is exactly why taking a sauna after a workout speeds up your recovery (32).

Saunas can help boost your immune system

By increasing your body temperature, which can mimic the effects of a fever. This pyretic effect can trigger your body to produce more white blood cells and release other protective cells into your bloodstream (33). These cells can help kill germs and improve your immune health. Saunas can also help prepare your immune system to fight off viruses (34).