Health benefits of infrared sauna for sports recovery
Saunas have been part of human culture for thousands of years, most famously in Finland - a population with more saunas than cars… talk about a green, nature-inspired lifestyle!
With technological advancements, infrared (IR) sauna is now a red hot trend among athletes and biohackers too, referring to both a home infrared sauna, as well as an outdoor sauna. Here we’ll look at the reasons for its popularity and help you decide whether it’s worth adding an infrared sauna therapy session into your recovery routine each week.
Traditional sauna vs far infrared sauna
Traditional saunas use wood or electric heaters to bring dry air up to 70–100°C. Users typically stay inside for five to 20 minutes, followed by a shower or pool dip to cool off. They repeat this hot/cool cycle several times before reacclimating to room temperature.
Far-infrared saunas (FIRS) use an infrared element that radiates heat in the far-IR wavelength (10 µm). Temperatures in FIRS range between 40 and 60°C.
IR heat penetrates more deeply than in a traditional sauna, which is why infrared sauna therapy is so effective - facilitating an intense sweat with reduced discomfort and cardiovascular strain.[1]
How does far infrared sauna work?
The basis of far infrared sauna (FIR) is a phenomenon called hyperthermic conditioning, i.e. training your body to adapt to heat, which some of the best infrared saunas can help you achieve.
“...hyperthermic conditioning through sauna use doesn’t just make you better at dealing with heat; it makes you better, period.” - Dr. Rhonda Patrick, an expert in the science of biohacking.
Deliberately increasing your core temperature for short periods of time allows your body to adapt by:
Increasing blood flow to the muscles - meaning nutrients delivered faster and metabolites removed [2]
Lowering heart rate for a given workload [3]
Improving sweat efficiency [3]
Increasing red blood cell count [4]
These factors facilitate recovery and reduce negative effects from raised core temperature during subsequent workouts.
The evidence of infrared sauna positive effects
The benefits of infrared sauna are best described in the 2015 study with ten active male volunteers looked at the effects of FIRS on recovery vs traditional Finnish sauna. Participants underwent 60 minutes of hypertrophic strength training or 34 - 40 minutes of maximal endurance training, followed by 30 minutes of infrared sauna. At the end of the experiment, the men sat for 30 minutes at room temperature.
Far infrared sauna has outperformed the control (no sauna) in subsequent maximal countermovement jump tests (0.34 ± 0.09 m). Heart rate was also significantly higher after FIRS (71 ± 7 beats/min) compared to traditional sauna (92 ± 13 beats/min), which is consistent with its lower cardiovascular load [1].
When it comes to the connection of an infrared sauna and weight loss, there is evidence that because of their ability to penetrate the skin more deeply, infrared saunas can increase metabolic rate and help the body burn off anywhere from 200 to 600 calories in a half-hour session.
Far infrared sauna for a healthy mind
As well as promoting physical recovery, a far infrared sauna can be a holistic tool encompassing mental wellness. Traditional sauna is a recreational practice, something people do to unwind. The warm environment alone can be enough to relax a person’s body and mind, while a far infrared sauna therapy has countless health benefits.
Furthermore, scientists have found that heat exposure increases levels of a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) [5].
BDNF has roles in neuroprotection, neural growth, and memory. Results from animal studies suggest it may also improve anxiety and depression [6].
Can you use infrared sauna every day?
When it comes to infrared sauna daily use, some of its’ greatest wellness benefits will manifest sooner if you use it daily. However you should definitely not exaggerate and use it too much - not more than twice a day, 20-45 minutes at the longest.
You will probably experience a deeper relaxation, but also body detox in a way that it isn’t used to, which can be mildly uncomfortable, the overall impact on your body, as well as state of mind will be more than pleasing.
references
[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4493260/
[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11165553
[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24444197
[4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16877041
[5] https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/180d/ceda5cfe1641bad581345bec029e13cd066e.pdf