Sauna Therapy
Saunas have been used for hundreds of years as a standard of health practice.
What is it?
Increase in temperature leads to activation of nervous system
Saunas greatly increase the temperature of the air surrounding you and as a result our bodies respond. Physiological changes created in the body include elevated skin temperature, increase in core body temperature and activation of the sympathetic nervous system leading an increase in heart rate, skin blood flow, cardiac output, and perspiration.
What types?
Steam, dry-heat, infrared
There are several types of saunas including steam, dry-heat sauna, infrared and far-infrared saunas. Steam (utilizes steam) and Dry Heat (utilizes hot coals) saunas help keep the room at a temperate between 70-100C (158-212F). The standard length of a sauna session is 5-20 minutes. Infrared saunas utilize incandescent infrared heat lamps to produce heat, and as a result they do not get as hot as traditional saunas running around 45-60C (113-140F). Infrared saunas emit mostly near-infrared wavelengths, with limited amounts of middle-infrared, and small amounts of far-infrared. There is less scientific evidence on infrared saunas versus radiant-heat saunas, but the evidence available supports its benefits for cardiovascular health.
What does it do?
Heat leads to an increase in heart rate and blood circulation
The reason saunas are believed to be effective is they produce a thermal stress response. As a result of overheating our bodies increase heart rate and blood circulation. This physiological overheating response has the potential to increase metabolic rate and oxygen consumption, simulating light-moderate exercise.
Heat creates to feel good hormones
Growth hormones and feel good endorphins also increase as a result of thermal stress during sauna sessions. These changes account for the pleasure and analgesic effects post sauna use. Muscles relax along with an increase in elasticity of tendons and joints and reduced viscosity of synovial joint fluid.
Heat reduces inflammation and stress
On a cellular level, saunas produce heat shock proteins, reduction of reactive oxygenated species, reduces oxidative stress and inflammation pathway actives, increased NO (nitric oxide) bioavailability, increased insulin sensitivity, and alterations in various endothelial-dependent vasodilation metabolic pathways.
10 Benefits of Sauna Therapy
The scarcity of research available makes it hard to come to any definitive conclusions regarding sauna therapy. Fortunately, many studies are currently being done to explain sauna therapy’s effect on longevity. Available studies have found sauna therapy to provide potential benefits for
1. Benefits Heart
congestive heart failure, post-myocardial infarction care, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
benefits congestive heart failure by improving artery dilation
2. Benefits Cardiovascular Health
asthma and bronchitis; should not be used during acute phase of a respiratory infection
improves lung function and increases cardiac output
3. Improves blood pressure
increases blood circulation
reduces blood pressure
4. Reduces stress
destress and relieve pain
5. Pain Management
chronic fatigue, chronic pain or addictions
6. Reduces Body Weight and Supports Recovery
increases metabolism
fights obesity
fat loss
aids recovery
7. Sauna Simulating Exercise
benefits those who are limited in exercise because of age, injury, or chronic disease
8. Improve Immune System
9. Improve Sleep
10. Longevity
Antiaging
skin rejuvenation
Risk?
Before we cook ourselves in saunas it is important to understand the potential risk. Overall regular sauna and far-infrared sauna appears to be safe; one area of potential concern is sauna use during early pregnancy because evidence suggest that hyperthermia might cause malformation of an embryo. If used improperly dry saunas have the potential to induce burns and myocardial ischemia, hypersensitivity pneumonitis (“sauna lung”), nonexceptional heatstroke, rhabdomyolysis, ocular irritations, “sauna stroke syndrome”, and death. Those with aortic stenosis, unstable angina, serve orthostatic hypotension or any history of heart attack should avoid sauna therapy. In addition, those with fever and skin conditions (cholinergic urticaria, abrasions and oozing rashes) should avoid sauna. Avoid alcohol use prior to entering sauna as it has been linked to death.
For more on utilizing and implementing sauna therapy or for a tailor made program including diet and fitness advice, contact via email cwheeler@wheelthy.com