11 Benefits Of Sauna After Workout: The Recovery Hack You Need
After a tough workout session, grabbing some sauna time can feel amazing… a perfect way to wind down after a solid session.
But although it feels good, are there any health benefits of sauna after workout?
Well, there’s plenty of evidence that suggests there is a load of benefits of a sauna after a workout.
Now, I’m a simple person who likes to look at health and wellbeing-related things from a simple, common sense viewpoint – I tend to ask myself “What would our hunter-gatherer ancestors have done?”…
…bearing in mind our human bodies are more designed to live in their world than in our modern situation.
Of course, I’m sure our ancestors would have taken regular infrared saunas… wouldn’t they?
No, of course not. But they would’ve been mostly outside – not cooped up indoors like most of us are now – so, plenty of sun exposure (with no sunscreen – how did they survive?).
They would’ve been very active with all the hunting and stuff and likely worked up a nice little sweat-on.
So perhaps we can say infrared saunas are mimicking an environment our ancestors would have been regularly exposed to – just in a more bio-hacking way.
Well, that’s good enough for me and there’s minimal, if any, downside and plenty of upside, as we’ll see…
TL;DR
- Saunas come in various types like dry, steam, and infrared, each providing unique benefits from deep heat penetration to increased blood circulation and detoxification.
- Post-workout sauna sessions can help with muscle recovery, reduce inflammation, improve cardiovascular health, aid in weight loss, and even lower the risk of certain diseases like diabetes.
- To optimize the health benefits, stay hydrated, gradually increase sauna duration, and if discomfort arises, exit the sauna to cool down – always listen to your body’s responses.
Understanding Different Sauna Types
When it comes to saunas, variety is the name of the game. The dry sauna also referred to as a traditional sauna, is a wooden room heated to high temperatures.
This creates a dry heat environment that is common in many cultures. The heat, which can reach between 160 to 200 degrees Fahrenheit, is often generated by a wood-burning stove or electric heaters, warming up sauna rocks to distribute the heat evenly.
Steam saunas, on the other hand, provide a more humid environment. Some types of steam sauna include:
- Turkish baths or hammams, which rely on a central heating source for steam generation
- Traditional Finnish saunas, which are wood-lined rooms heated with hot rocks
- Smoke saunas, which focus on efficient heat distribution due to their curved design
For those seeking a different kind of heat, infrared saunas offer a unique experience. Instead of heating the air around you, these saunas use infrared light to heat your body directly, operating at lower temperatures ranging from 120 to 150 degrees.
Benefits of Sauna After Workout
Now that we’ve dipped our toes into the steamy world of saunas, let’s dive deeper and discover the myriad of health benefits that can be gained from a sauna session after a workout.
From muscle recovery to detoxification and cardiovascular health, the potential advantages are as vast as they are compelling.
Muscle Recovery: Accelerate Healing with Sauna Sessions
A sauna session can be a game-changer for muscle recovery. As the heat envelops your body, your blood flow nearly doubles, delivering enriched oxygen and nutrients to your muscles. This accelerated blood circulation can significantly reduce muscle soreness by up to 47% within 24 hours post-workout.
Infrared sauna sessions take it a step further. After a grueling workout, the heat penetrates your muscles and nerves, enhancing performance in exercises that measure lower body power, such as a countermovement jump test.
This indicates a faster recovery of muscles and nerves after exercise, leading to improved overall athletic performance.
Detoxify Your Body: Release Toxins & Improve Circulation
Stepping into a sauna after a workout can also serve as a detoxifying retreat. The sweat you produce during a sauna session helps expel toxic substances like BPAs, PCBs, heavy metals, and bacteria from your body, aiding in its natural detox process.
The result? An overall improvement in circulation that leaves you feeling rejuvenated.
Infrared saunas offer several sauna benefits, including:
- Deeper heat penetration, which helps with detoxification
- Mitigation of stress on your body
- A 17.5% reduction in oxidative stress from your workout, promoting recovery and reducing inflammation.
Cardiovascular Health: Strengthen Your Heart & Lower Blood Pressure
Turning up the heat in a sauna can not only help you sweat out toxins but also bolster your cardiovascular and heart health.
Regular sauna sessions improve the efficiency of your heart and blood vessels and lower high blood pressure.
Research shows that men who used a sauna two to three times per week had a 27 percent lower risk of death from heart disease compared to those using it once a week.
But it’s not just about reducing the risk of heart disease. Regular sauna use can also:
- Bring about favorable changes in circulating lipid profiles.
- Positively influence the autonomic nervous system.
- Improve endothelial function, which is essential for cardiovascular health.