Heating Up: Exploring the World of Saunas
Welcome to my blog site where we discuss the health benefits of using saunas!
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By Jake Hicks
Modern Saunas:
A rendition of an older Finnish sauna:
A common sauna today:
The issue of extreme heat is one humankind has dealt with for its entire existence and one we have learned to circumnavigate. Usually, this extreme heat is one most do not want to encounter. Therefore, inventions like modern-day air-conditioning units have allowed humans to escape extreme heat even in the most arid places. Furthermore, despite the desire to flee from this heat, some force themselves to endure it in the name of physical cleanness. Specifically, one of these endeavors that has become popular is that of sauna bathing. Sauna bathing is a concept that originated in the Finnish culture centuries ago. However, it has become more popular over the past seventy years. The concept is to place oneself in extreme heat (above 140°F) to detoxify the body and increase cardiovascular health, among many other benefits. Its inception into modern culture has created a healthy debate over whether the benefits of sauna bathing outweigh the cons and discomfort one endures when sitting in one. Ultimately, the positives outweigh the negatives, as sauna usage can increase cardiovascular health, detoxify the body, and promote muscle relaxation.
A primary benefit of sauna usage is its ability to increase cardiovascular health positively. This benefit arises from the concept of overheating one's body. In the process of overheating, the extreme heat from the sauna causes the individual's heart to beat faster to increase blood flow. As a result, their blood vessels dilate, and this dilation of the blood vessels thus promotes blood flow to joints, inflamed areas, and tense muscles. Increased blood flow also induces sweat in the individual. This positive control loop of sweating to increased blood flow and heart rate can ultimately allow the sauna user to sit in a state of increased cardiovascular rates for some time. This 'straining' of the system promotes future cardiovascular health benefits for the patient. The increased blood flow throughout the body also allows for a natural healing process in the patient's body as the blood flow increases and travels to the areas of the body that need more 'support.' Furthermore, in an article published in 2021, Dr. Rhonda Patrick and Dr. Teresa Johnson described how sauna usage can create physiological responses in the cardiovascular system similar to that of a workout. They concluded that simply sitting in a sauna for a twenty-minute session can create benefits similar to working strenuously for the same period of time. Dr. Patrick and Dr. Johnson also conducted an experiment to examine this physiological effect. In the experiment, nine female athletes wearing sauna suits replicating sauna conditions showed increased cardiovascular performance compared to a control group. These results show that even at the peak performance of endurance athletes, saunas can still play a vital role in maintaining cardiovascular shape. Therefore, saunas have proven beneficial in inducing positive cardiovascular results in those who frequently use one. Another primary benefit of sauna usage is the promotion of detoxification in the body. This concept can be readily observed by identifying proteins that are deemed heat shock proteins (HSP) throughout the bloodstream. These proteins are a type of immune response produced by overheating the body. Therefore, the induction of specific HSP can aid one's immune system and fight infections throughout the body while maintaining other homeostatic functions. Saunas can also allow the body to rid itself of oxidative species, detoxifying the body of oxidative byproducts and keeping the body from degrading proteins. This, in turn, allows the body to create certain factors it needs to recover from injury. Sauna usage also promotes muscle relaxation and reduces soreness. This physiological benefit arises from increasing blood flow to inflamed areas of the body. Increased blood flow to these areas will promote healing and reduce soreness, particularly after an intense workout. Therefore, the hypothesis is that intense heat produced from a sauna will increase the patient's heart rate and blood flow to these body areas and promote healing. Therefore, incorporating sauna usage into one's daily routine or recovery process can be immensely important because of its ability to induce muscle recovery.
Benefits of saunas:
The story behind saunas:
The recommended time to sit in a sauna:
*All photos were created using Adobe Express to create original art with AI technology
To understand saunas, we must first venture back and study its history. Sauna usage first began in Finland thousands of years ago. As one research article says, "It is a modality engrained in Finnish culture and "has been used for thousands of years for leisure, relaxation, and wellness; it is accessible to most people in Finland." The accessibility and ability to provide its users with quick relaxation and leisure appeals to those in countries where it is popular today. In early Finnish culture, saunas were more extensive and could seat several people as they were often the size of a small 'house.' These saunas held various people for long periods and required minimal cleaning to maintain. Furthermore, the Finnish used these spaces to escape the cold and grow in their physical abilities. The Finnish also focused on creating good habits for themselves in their culture, and sauna usage was the first of many inventions with this goal. Upon observing sauna usage in Finland, authors and travelers such as Adam Olearius, Guiseppe Acerbi, and Agricola described saunas in their books and journals. They wrote of its ability to be a "good habit." Furthermore, as details about saunas spread from Finland, the popularity of the modality increased dramatically in other European countries. Some even used saunas to promote purification or healing. Today, saunas are constructed similarly to how they were at their conception: simply a wooden room with heat supplied into the room. However, they have continued to grow and become more sophisticated with technological advancements, creating more user benefits.
Saunas have been linked to various positive health benefits. However, specific time lengths of sitting in one have varied throughout studies. For example, one study says that, “The KIHD findings revealed that among men who reported using the sauna 2–3 times per week, the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality was 27% lower than among men who reported using the sauna only once weekly.” These lower numbers for CVD continue to drop as sauna usage increases. Another article says that, “Our current results highlight a substantial risk reduction of fatal CVD events in men and women, with frequent sauna use of over four times per week and duration of sauna bathing of more than 45 min/week.” Lastly, another article states, “The short-term efficacy of sauna treatment correlated well with the acute response to 45 min sauna therapy.” Therefore, all of these articles recommend different times for sauna usage. After bountiful research and sitting in saunas myself over the past four years, my personal recommendation is that 3-4 sauna sessions per week for 25-35 minutes produce the best range of benefits.