To many people sauna and steam room benefits are about chillin after a workout or hard day. But did you know that doing it frequently can extend your life?
Saunas and heat therapies have been around for centuries, originating all the way back to ancient Greece and Hippocrates, who wrote, “Give me the power to produce fever, and I will cure all disease.”
Sunlight was also a form of heat therapy, contributing to a wide range of health benefits.
I personally had my first heat therapy experience in my teens when I ventured into a Kiva Center in Northern California and started rocking a sweat. Later, at the Esalen Institute in Big Sur, I took a deeper dive.
But it wasn’t until I started doing it frequently—four or five times a week at the gym—that I really started to notice the benefits. Which, according to boatloads of scientific studies, are potentially life changing!
Here’s why:
Sauna & Steam Room Benefits
Countless studies have confirmed the benefits of saunas for about every ailment under the sun, from reducing high blood pressure, inflammation, and oxidative stress, to boosting metabolism.
But beyond their ability to flush toxins, improve skin, and make you feel 10 times better than you did before, a smoking hot sauna session can stoke your immune system, your respiratory system, your nervous system, your heart.
It curbs all-cause mortality (ACM), too, if you do it often.
In fact research shows that ACM is reduced by 40% among frequent sauna bathers vs infrequent, with frequent being five to seven days a week vs two to three.
The reason that’s important is because frequency does count. To tap the full benefits of saunas you have to do it regularly, e.g., three to five times a week, and if you want to optimize—meaning lifespan extension of up to seven years—then five times a week or more.
One study showed that “Among men who reported using the sauna 4–7 times per week, the risk of CVD [cardiovascular disease] mortality was 50% lower than among men who reported using the sauna only once weekly.”
Saunas also . . .
- Boost cognition and brain health.
- Promote restful sleep.
- Burn calories and help you lose weight.
- Improve arterial health.
- Improve resting heartrate.
- Decrease insulin resistance.
- Produce a cardiovascular workout.
- Relieve muscle and joint tension.
- Balance cholesterol.
- Reduce high blood pressure.
- Boost the immune system.
- Support respiratory health and lungs.
- Stoke growth hormone (hGH).
- Improve mental health.
- Promote detoxification.
- Curb chronic disease.
Indeed sauna ‘heat stress’ is so good for the body that according to one study, it’s emerging as a “potential alternative to exercise for improving cardiovascular health.”
According to this report: “Although we are relaxed in the sauna, we still receive many of the metabolic and cardiovascular benefits of fairly vigorous exercise. This mild surge in blood flow facilitates waste removal from tissues and improves the delivery of oxygen and vital nutrients to the cells.”
Sauna Fitness
“Proper sauna session should be completed with a fast cool-down so that the body is quickly cooled and stops sweating. Prolonged sweat release leads to a decrease in intravascular plasma volume and consequently causes an increase in hematocrit (HCT), total red blood cell (RBC) count and leukocyte (WBC) count (Blum, 2007).”
The term ‘sauna fitness’ refers to the ability of sauna time to produce effects similar to a moderate workout. In other words, a sauna boosts your heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP) like during a workout, but afterwards they not only decline, they improve, so heart rate and blood pressure get healthier:
Initially, “The heat exposure [of sauna] resulted in a significant (p<0.01) and progressive increase in systolic and diastolic BP. After the sauna bath, BP decreased and showed significantly (p<0.001) lower values compared to baseline.”
And ditto for heart rate:
“HR [heart rate] also increased continuously during heat application (p<0.001), resulting in a significant increase (p<0.001) in systolic BP x HR as a measure of myocardial oxygen consumption. After the end of the sauna session, both the BP and the HR decreased steadily (p<0.001).”
Which is primarily due to the hormesis effect of exercise, which upgrades cellular and molecular pathways to greater levels of adaptation in response to stress, or in this case, the ‘exercise’ you sport in a sauna:
“When comparing BP and HR during the sauna session with the reaction during a dynamic exercise test, sauna bathing was equivalent to an exercise load of about 60-100 watts.” Which isn’t a marathon, but nothing to sniff at.
According to American Fitness Magazine, “a beginner cyclist may average around 75–100 watts in a 1-hour workout,” with watts representing the power you exert over inertia.
So it definitely adds up, and it’s one of the reasons they call it ‘sauna fitness’—you’re getting fit while you sit! And burning more calories than if you were sitting somewhere else—about 1.5 to 2x more.
And then there are heat shock protein benefits, which are huge.
Heat Shock Proteins
The activation of heat shock proteins (HSPs) during times of elevated body temperature plays a key role in sauna benefits and the effects of steam rooms.
So what exactly are heat shock proteins?
Well, according to Nature, they “protect intracellular proteins from misfolding or aggregation, inhibit cell death signaling cascades and preserve the intracellular signaling pathways that are essential for cell survival.”
In other words, they protect our cells, and in the sauna—or steam room—they’re onboard.
Another study notes that “When cells are exposed to thermal stress, stress proteins called heat shock proteins (HSPs) are upregulated intracellularly, and they are thought to serve as molecular chaperones to prevent protein aggregation and help transport repair proteins.”
The Mayo Clinic reports that saunas reduce high blood pressure, stroke, pulmonary diseases, skin conditions, rheumatic diseases, headaches, even the flu.
And when it comes to lipids, saunas can definitely help. A 2019 PubMed report showed correlations between sauna use and the body composition of young overweight men:
“Repeated use of Finnish sauna induces significant changes in the physiological parameters of young sedentary overweight men, and these changes are intensified during successive treatments.”
And if you workout first, double-win. 💪
Benefits of Post-Workout Sauna
One of my favorite times to sauna is after a workout, and I know I’m not alone. After a run/pump at the gym, I’m in the box, and it’s not a bad one.
I’ve been going to the same gym for years, so it’s like a dear old friend. I know every crack in the boards, every hiss and grind of the old heater, every glitch in the temp gauge and rickety door.
And I have a clear routine:
- Towel (check).
- Electrolyte water (check).
- Essential oil (check).
- Body rub (check).
- Face scrub (check).
- Loofah (check).
- Deep hair conditioner (check).
- Body brush (check).
- Ayurvedic body oil (check).
- Moisturizer (check).
Then I’m in and lay down, way up on the top corner bench where it gets the hottest. And when it comes to benefits specifically post-workout, here’s some really good news:
A study found that athletes who sauna post-workout have stronger immune systems and white blood cell (WBC) counts:
- “Sauna bathing with a body cool-down causes a significant increase in an overall WBC count only in the group of trained men [athletes post-workout].
- Sauna bathing considerably elevates neutrophil count, basophil count and lymphocyte count in the blood of trained men.
- Sauna bathing causes a significantly higher increase in WBC and monocytes in athletes compared to untrained subjects.
- Changes in the white blood cell profile suggest a faster mobilization of cells in the first line of immune defense in athletes compared to untrained subjects after a sauna bathing session.”
Researchers conclude that “Sauna bathing could be recommended for athletes as a means of enhancing immunological defense.”
Steam Room vs Sauna
When it comes to saunas vs steam rooms, most folks already know that a steam room is wet and a sauna’s dry—the former’s water-fueled, the latter’s a stove.
However steam rooms are also slightly cooler than saunas, with different temperature sets and humidity.
A steam room is typically around 110°F and highly humid—about 100%—whereas saunas range from 150 to 200 degrees with roughly 10% humidity. The former is preferable for respiratory ailments such as asthma and allergies, but folks who are sensitive to moisture prefer dry.
One study found that children with respiratory ailments recovered faster after using a steam room than children who didn’t. The steam can help relieve congestion and symptoms of the common cold.
Is there an Optimal Sauna Temp?
A good sauna temp, in reality, is what works for you. Most folks prefer temperatures between 150-175 degrees, or 120-130 degrees for infrared.
However, others like saunas smoking hot in the upper realms of 200°F and higher.
I personally like it real hot and can’t stand a tepid sauna, hot tub, or bath, though studies show a sweet spot of 175 degrees with 163 degrees for 30 minutes still ramps heat shock proteins by a whopping 50%.
And speaking of baths, a 20-minute hot soak can do wonders for your health, akin to saunas if you take them often.
They also rock because you can immerse in salts like this Serotonin Soak from HigherDOSE with magnesium from the Zechstein seabed, French green clay, brown algae, ACV, turmeric, marjoram, and eucalyptus.
It’s also suggested to cool down fast after a sauna.
Cold Shower After Sauna
I personally always take cold showers between sauna sessions—a lot of folks do—and according to this report, it can make a difference:
Saunas for Sore Muscles
Most commonly people use saunas and other heat therapies to target sore muscles, tendons, and joints. They’ve been shown to relieve lower back pain and other inflammatory conditions.
They also improve muscle strength and preserve muscle mass, says Dr. Rhonda Patrick: “Sauna bathing after high-intensity exercise can reduce delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and improve muscle strength. In addition, research demonstrates that local heat exposure prevents muscle atrophy in immobilized patients.”
And for runners they rock.
Saunas After Endurance Running
Studies have found that saunas after running are a go-to for athletic endurance. One report notes that three weeks of post-workout saunas produced “a worthwhile enhancement of endurance running performance, probably by increasing blood volume.”
According to Runner’s World, “Taking saunas increase your blood volume, and the more water-filled blood you have to move around, the better you can compete in endurance competitions. The sauna baths boosted subjects’ plasma volume by 7.1 percent and their run time to exhaustion by 32 percent.”
Saunas Boost Athletic Performance and Recovery
Saunas improve athletic performance and recovery in a number of ways, by increasing blood flow, repairing damaged proteins in muscles, and reducing inflammation.
They increase the production of heat shock proteins that repair cells, as well as offset atrophy, boost muscle strength, and scale oxygen.
In addition, they boost resilience: “Basal HSP concentrations are higher in heat-acclimated individuals, suggesting that heat acclimation induces whole-body adaptations that increase heat tolerance, resulting in protective cellular adaptations.”
Saunas after Weight Training
Taking a sauna after strength training is not only a good idea, it’s the best idea ever. Saunas have been shown to increase muscle strength, ramp blood flow, reduce inflammation, help repair proteins, and more. 💪
They also provide a short burst of growth hormone (hGH) and boost recovery time.
And they’re bomb for detox.
Saunas for Detox
Detoxing in saunas has been a thing for decades, if not centuries, and even though I recently heard people claiming that saunas don’t detox, one study notes otherwise:
“Improved adaptation to stress with regular sauna bathing may be further enhanced by excretion of toxicants through heavy sweating. Many industrial toxicants including heavy metals, pesticides, and various petrochemicals may be excreted in sweat leading to an enhancement of metabolic pathways and processes that these toxic agents inhibit.”
They go on to explain that “Sweat-induced excretion of toxic metals such as arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury has been reported with the rates of excretion matching or exceeding urinary routes. There is also recent evidence that toxic chemicals and xenobiotics such as polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants, organochlorine pesticides, bisphenol-A (BPA), and phthalates may be excreted via induced sweating at rates that exceed urinary excretion.”
And as everyone knows, saunas are relaxing.
In fact . . .
Saunas are ‘Deeply’ Relaxing
Saunas are a great way to rest and unwind after a hard day, and though blood pressure and heart rate climb during heat stress, they steadily decrease afterwards and reduce inflammation, oxidative stress, blood pressure, and resting heart rate, which chills you down.
I’m always 10x more relaxed after a sauna, and they boost mood. In fact saunas can produce the happy euphoric feelings of a ‘runners high’ due to the release of dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins—a double-win if you tap it twice (post-workout).
And when it comes to a deep restful sleep, saunas are in. They actually remind me of a bath soak in how effective they are at inducing sleep. Not only do I doze off faster, I experience deeper REM.
One cross-sectional study found that “sauna-bathing participants, particularly those from Finland, Australia and the United States, are motivated to use saunas predominantly for relaxation, reporting health benefits especially around mental well-being and sleep, with relatively few adverse effects.”
Since most of us already know that increasing exercise boosts cardiovascular health, it’s not a leap to assume that saunas have similar effects, and especially with regards to ‘sauna fitness’ and the heart.
According to one report, regular sauna bathing boosts cardiovascular function via “improved endothelium-dependent dilatation, reduced arterial stiffness, modulation of the autonomic nervous system, beneficial changes in circulating lipid profiles, and lowering of systemic blood pressure.”
Jama Medicine says that “Although previous population studies have suggested possible positive effects of sauna bathing on cardiovascular health, this study extends these observations by finding that sauna bathing is inversely associated with the risk of SCD [sudden cardiac death], CHD [coronary heart disease], CVD [fatal cardiovascular disease ], and all-cause mortality. The higher frequency of sauna bathing was related to a considerable decreased risk of SCDs, fatal CHDs, fatal CVDs, and all-cause mortality events independently from conventional risk factors.”
Saunas also curb vascular disease, neurocognitive disease, autoimmune disease, respiratory symptoms, and more. Consult your physician about the many ways saunas can help.
Electrolyte Water Benefits & Sauna
It’s also worth noting that hydration is key during sauna bathing, and especially with electrolyte water. Lemon water is one option because it contains natural electrolytes and calcium, magnesium, potassium, vitamin C, and more.
Another way to go is Vita CoCo Coconut Water with fresh pineapple and electrolytes. The point is boosting hydration before you go in, while you’re in, and more when you get out.
Studies show that ‘sauna dehydration’ and extreme athletics that induce hyperthermia can increase intestinal permeability, so all forms of hyperthermia and heat stress should be approached with caution—e.g., lots of fluids before, during, and after.
What Are the Best Home Saunas?
Saunas come in all shapes, sizes, and types these days, including wood burning saunas, electric dry heat, steam rooms, and infrared. Though each has unique characteristics and perks, they all provide significant health benefits.
In fact there are honestly so many great home saunas on the market now that it’s hard to choose. Just be happy if you can afford one, set it up, and start sweating.
Otherwise you’ll have to go to a gym, which isn’t bad, or steam your bathroom out, which isn’t bad either, or get a ‘sauna blanket’ or portable till you expand.
Which is exactly what I did when I purchased this sauna blanket years backs from HigherDOSE—the only ETL Certified sauna blanket on the market:
You can also get a sauna tent like this 2-Person steam sauna for a reasonable price:
That being said, sauna blankets, which are usually infrared, and portables, are extremely handy for times when you can’t make it to the gym and need to dive in exactly where you’re at, like in the comfort of your own home.
I use my sauna blanket a lot in the winter to avoid venturing out in storms, so they’re convenient and not a bad investment if you can’t get a large one.
HigherDOSE also carries an excellent full spectrum, low EMF infrared sauna for two people, plus a three person with carbon/ceramic heaters, low EMF, and chromotherapy.
Sauna Side Effects
Steam rooms and saunas can lose their benefits real quick if you’re not safe, and though most healthy people can use them, it’s important to speak with your physician if you have medical conditions or take prescription drugs.
Here are some tips:
- Stay hydrated: before, during, and after.
- Careful with temp extremes like sauna to ice plunge (learn more here).
- Leave immediately if you feel dizzy, sick, nauseous, or uncomfortable in any way.
- Don’t fall asleep.
- Don’t sauna and drink alcohol or take drugs.
- Gradually build up like you would exercise.
- Max time should be around 20-30 minutes ballpark and newbies 5-10 minutes.
- Don’t use a sauna if you’re sick.
- Healthy children age six or older can sauna for up to 15 minutes with adult supervision.
- Consult your physician first if you’re pregnant.
It also helps to ramp the biome with high-quality prebiotics and probiotics post-sauna. Physician’s Choice on Amazon has over 122,000 good reviews.
Sauna Accessories
- Sauna bucket & ladle.
- Teak wood mat.
- Organic towels.
- Bamboo mat.
- Cedar sauna pillow.
- Aromatherapy bowl.
- Canadian bucket set.
- Eucalyptus oil.
- Vaporium hats.
- Aromatherapy cup.
- Ergonomic backrest
- Essential oils kit.
- Organic massage oil.
Inexpensive Portable Saunas
- Sauna tent.
- Sauna blanket
- Portable steam sauna.
- Single-Person sauna.
- Portable infrared.
- Bathroom steam generator.
The medical and health topics covered on the Plate of Grass website and blog have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to prevent or cure any disease. This article and its content is presented ‘as is’ for informational purposes only.
