SCIENCE  |  RECOVERY

Sauna

Sauna bathing, originating from Finland, involves exposure to high temperatures (70°C to 100°C) in a wood-paneled room to induce sweating and relaxation. This practice triggers thermoregulatory responses, increasing core body temperature and promoting vasodilation and blood flow. The heat stimulates the autonomic nervous system, increasing heart rate and sweating, which aids in detoxification and homeostasis.

Benefits of Sauna

  1. Improvement of Neuromuscular Performance and Muscle Soreness:
      • A single infrared sauna session post-exercise can improve recovery of neuromuscular performance and reduce muscle soreness, potentially enhancing mood, readiness, and physical performance (Biol Sport, 2023).
  2. Cardiovascular Function:
      • Regular exercise combined with sauna bathing can improve cardiovascular function, including better cardiorespiratory fitness, lower systolic blood pressure, and lower cholesterol levels (Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol, 2022).
      • Sauna bathing is associated with lower risks of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality. Increased frequency and duration of sauna sessions can further enhance these benefits (JAMA Intern Med, 2015).
  3. Physical and Physiological Performance:
      • Passive acclimation to high temperatures in a dry sauna can improve physical performance and various physiological parameters, such as maximal oxygen uptake and flexibility (J Therm Biol, 2021).
      • Post-exercise sauna bathing can improve endurance performance by increasing blood volume and red cell mass (J Sci Med Sport, 2007).
  4. Blood Pressure and Vascular Function:
      • Heat therapy, including sauna bathing, can reduce mean arterial, systolic, and diastolic blood pressure and improve vascular function, making it a promising therapeutic tool for cardiovascular disease prevention and treatment (Exp Physiol, 2021).
      • Sauna treatment improved cardiovascular function and physical activity levels, suggesting thermal intervention may be a promising means for cardiovascular nursing (Eur J Cardiovasc Nurs, 2020).
  5. Exercise Performance in Heat:
      • Intermittent post-exercise sauna bathing can improve exercise heat tolerance and performance markers, such as VO2max and speed at a specific blood lactate concentration (Eur J Appl Physiol, 2021).
      • Sauna-based heat acclimation can expand plasma volume in well-trained cyclists, enhancing their performance (Eur J Appl Physiol, 2015).
  6. Reduction of Oxidative Stress:
      • A single Finnish sauna bath can reduce oxidative stress induced by aerobic exercise, suggesting benefits for recovery and antioxidant defenses (Scand J Clin Lab Invest, 2014).
  7. Hormonal Responses:
      • Heat exposure in a Finnish sauna can significantly increase various hormonal levels, including beta-endorphin, ACTH, growth hormone, and testosterone, while reducing cortisol levels (Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol, 1989).
  8. Respiratory Health:
      • Frequent sauna bathing was associated with a reduced risk of acute and chronic respiratory conditions in a middle-aged male population (Eur J Epidemiol, 2017).
  9. General Mortality:
      • Increased frequency of sauna bathing was associated with reduced risks of sudden cardiac death, fatal coronary heart disease, fatal cardiovascular disease, and all-cause mortality (JAMA Intern Med, 2015).

PUBLICATIONS

  1. A post-exercise infrared sauna session improves recovery of neuromuscular performance and muscle soreness after resistance exercise training.
          • Biol Sport. 2023 Jul;40(3):681-689.
          • Design: Randomized crossover trial with 16 male basketball players.
          • Summary: Post-exercise infrared sauna session improved recovery of neuromuscular performance and reduced muscle soreness compared to passive recovery.
  2. Hematological Adaptations to Post-Exercise Sauna Bathing With No Fluid Intake: A Randomized Cross-Over Study.
          • Res Q Exerc Sport. 2022 Dec;93(4):795-803.
          • Design: Randomized cross-over study with 13 physical education students.
          • Summary: Post-exercise sauna bathing with no fluid intake did not provide additional benefits over endurance training alone in terms of hematological adaptations and exercise capacity.
  3. Effects of regular sauna bathing in conjunction with exercise on cardiovascular function: a multi-arm, randomized controlled trial.
          • Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2022 Sep 1;323(3):R289-R299.
          • Design: Multi-arm, randomized controlled trial with 47 participants.
          • Summary: Regular exercise combined with post-exercise sauna bathing improved cardiovascular function more than exercise alone, demonstrating additional benefits for CRF, systolic BP, and total cholesterol levels.
  4. 3-Week passive acclimation to extreme environmental heat (100± 3°C) in dry sauna increases physical and physiological performance among young semi-professional football players.
          • J Therm Biol. 2021 Aug;100:103048.
          • Design: Randomized controlled trial with 36 male football players.
          • Summary: Three-week heat acclimation in a dry sauna improved physical and physiological performance, suggesting beneficial effects on physical performance and health promotion.
  5. The effect of heat therapy on blood pressure and peripheral vascular function: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
          • Exp Physiol. 2021 Jun;106(6):1317-1334.
          • Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis.
          • Summary: Heat therapy reduced mean arterial, systolic, and diastolic blood pressure and improved vascular function, suggesting it as a promising therapeutic tool for cardiovascular disease prevention and treatment.
  6. Three weeks of passive and intervallic heat at high temperatures (100±2°C) in a sauna improve acclimation to external heat (42±2°C) in untrained males.
          • J Therm Biol. 2021 Feb;96:102837.
          • Design: Randomized controlled trial with 40 untrained men.
          • Summary: Passive and intervallic heat acclimation improved performance in hyperthermia, suggesting this protocol could benefit athletes competing in hot environments.
  7. Intermittent post-exercise sauna bathing improves markers of exercise capacity in hot and temperate conditions in trained middle-distance runners.
          • Eur J Appl Physiol. 2021 Feb;121(2):621-635.
          • Design: Randomized controlled trial with 20 middle-distance runners.
          • Summary: Three weeks of post-exercise sauna bathing improved exercise heat tolerance and performance markers, with additional marginal benefits after seven weeks.
  8. Skeletal Muscle Signaling Following Whole-Body and Localized Heat Exposure in Humans.
          • Front Physiol. 2020 Jul 14;11:839.
          • Design: Study with nine active male participants.
          • Summary: Whole-body heat treatment enhanced anabolic, mitochondrial, and cyto-protective signaling, suggesting benefits for muscle hypertrophy, mitochondrial function, and cellular protection.
  9. Acute and short-term efficacy of sauna treatment on cardiovascular function: A meta-analysis.
          • Eur J Cardiovasc Prev Rehabil. 2020 Jul;27(5):428-437.
          • Design: Meta-analysis of acute and short-term studies on sauna treatment.
          • Summary: Sauna treatment has acute beneficial effects on cardiovascular function, including improvements in blood pressure and vascular function, providing evidence for its use in cardiovascular disease management.
  10. Acute Neuromuscular and Hormonal Responses to Different Exercise Loadings Followed by a Sauna.
          • J Strength Cond Res. 2020 Feb;34(2):313-322.
          • Design: Study with 27 recreationally physically active men.
          • Summary: Different exercise loadings followed by a sauna decreased neuromuscular performance and elevated serum hormone concentrations, suggesting traditional sauna bathing may be strenuous.
  11. Joint associations of sauna bathing and cardiorespiratory fitness on cardiovascular and all-cause mortality risk: a long-term prospective cohort study.
          • Ann Med. 2018 Mar;50(2):139-146.
          • Design: Prospective cohort study with 2277 men.
          • Summary: A combination of high cardiorespiratory fitness and frequent sauna bathing conferred stronger long-term protection against cardiovascular and all-cause mortality compared to either alone.
  12. Sauna bathing reduces the risk of respiratory diseases: a long-term prospective cohort study.
          • Eur J Epidemiol. 2017 Dec;32(12):1107-1111.
          • Design: Prospective cohort study with 1935 men.
          • Summary: Frequent sauna bathing was associated with a reduced risk of acute and chronic respiratory conditions in a middle-aged male population.
  13. Association between sauna bathing and fatal cardiovascular and all-cause mortality events.
          • JAMA Intern Med. 2015 Apr;175(4):542-8.
          • Design: Prospective cohort study involving 2315 middle-aged men.
          • Summary: Increased frequency of sauna bathing was associated with a reduced risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD), fatal coronary heart disease (CHD), fatal cardiovascular disease (CVD), and all-cause mortality. Men who had 2-3 sauna sessions per week had a 22% lower risk of SCD, while those with 4-7 sessions had a 63% lower risk compared to those with 1 session per week. Longer sauna sessions (more than 19 minutes) were also associated with a lower risk of SCD, CHD, and CVD.
  14. Effect of sauna-based heat acclimation on plasma volume and heart rate variability.
          • Eur J Appl Physiol. 2015 Apr;115(4):785-94.
          • Design: Study with seven well-trained male cyclists.
          • Summary: Post-exercise sauna bathing expanded plasma volume in well-trained cyclists, though the utility of heart rate and heart rate variability indices for tracking changes was uncertain.
  15. The effect of a single Finnish sauna bath after aerobic exercise on the oxidative status in healthy men.
          • Scand J Clin Lab Invest. 2014 Mar;74(2):89-94.
          • Design: Study with 43 healthy men.
          • Summary: A single Finnish sauna bath reduced oxidative stress induced by aerobic exercise, suggesting benefits for recovery and antioxidant defenses.
  16. Effect of post-exercise sauna bathing on the endurance performance of competitive male runners.
          • J Sci Med Sport. 2007 Dec;10(4):259-62.
          • Design: Randomized controlled trial with six male distance runners.
          • Summary: Post-exercise sauna bathing improved endurance performance, possibly by increasing blood volume and red cell mass.
  17. Haemodynamic and hormonal responses to heat exposure in a Finnish sauna bath.
          • Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol. 1989;58(5):543-50.
          • Design: Study with eight healthy young men.
          • Summary: Heat exposure in a Finnish sauna increased oral temperature, heart rate, plasma noradrenaline, and prolactin levels. Adrenaline levels did not change. Various hormones increased at different temperatures, while cortisol levels decreased at 80°C and 100°C.
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