The Benefits of Sauna Bathing and Living Longer

Saunas are great, lose a little water weight and sweat out those toxins, it makes you feel like you are doing something. But besides sweating out water, are you really getting any benefits from being stuck in a tiny hot room with strangers for 20 minutes?

What does a Sauna do to your Body?

As you may have guessed sitting in a sweltering room increases your body temperature. By doing this you will put your body into a state that mimics moderate aerobic exercise. The results are increased body temperature, increased heart rate, increased plasma volume, dilated blood vessels, and increased sweating.  All very similar to what your body goes though during exercise.

What are the benefits of Using a Sauna?

There are many benefits to incorporating a regular sauna routine into your week. By heat shocking your body and mimicking the effects of moderate aerobic activity, your cardiovascular responds very similarly to that of exercise. Here are 4 long-term benefits to creating this heat shock on your body:

Benefit: Decreased Risk of Cardiac Related Death

A 20-year study (by Jari Laukkanen), found that using a sauna 2-3 times per week can reduce the risk of cardiac-related death by 22%. Remarkably, increasing that to 4-7 times per week further reduced that risk by 67%. These long term results are outstanding, this occurs due to the increased blood flow and lowered blood pressure on your cardiovascular system. The effects of a slightly lower blood pressure compound over time saving your heart unneeded stress.

Benefit: Decreased Risk of Neurodegenerative Disease

A study published by the Oxford University Press stated that by adding 2-3 sauna sessions per week it was studied that the risk of dementia was reduced by about 22% and if this was increased to 4-7 sessions per week, that reduced the risk of dementia by 66%. This is thought to be due to the increased blood flood in the body which creates better blood flow to the brain. The better the blood flow to any organ or muscle the better it can perform, also the decreases the rate of deterioration.

Benefit: Decreased Blood Pressure and Stroke Risk

The benefits of having a better cardiovascular system keep coming. Sauna usage has been linked to lower blood pressure vs. those who do not use a sauna. A study listed in the American Journal of Hypertension shows that using a sauna 2-3 or 4-7 times per week can reduce the risk of a hypertension-related incident by 24% and 46% respectively. Stroke and heart disease, are the two of the leading causes of death amongst people in North America, might as well reduce your biggest risks.

Benefit: Increased Heat Acclamation and Increased Body Cooling

The first time you work out or step into a sauna your body may experience a shock. This comes from challenging it in a way that it has not before. The increased temperature, blood flow, and stress may cause you to feel dizzy or light-headed. Your body slowly becomes accustomed to this state and will be able to handle physically stressful situations better in the future. This is the benefit of the sauna, soon you will be able to stay in the sauna longer and your body will cool down faster (increased sweat at lower temperatures). This improvement is a result of your cardiovascular system working better and your body’s ability to adapt to heat stress. There has been research linking sauna bathing to increased performance in endurance athletes.

Will the Sauna Help Me Lose Fat?

In the sauna you may experience short-term weight loss(loss of water weight) and an increased heart rate (calorie burn). This is a very low amount of increased calorie expenditure. Therefore, YES you will lose some weight BUT this an inefficient method of fat loss. You would be able to achieve greater fat loss through 20 minutes of exercise opposed to 20 minutes of sauna bathing.

How Often Should I Use the Sauna?

The data would suggest you use the sauna and the more often you use it, the better. To achieve the desired effects Dr. Susanna Soberg recommends 57 minutes per week, divided into 3 sessions. This is what is recommended to achieve the optimal results for the time you put in, with each session should be a minimum of 19 minutes and 30 minutes maximum. That is not to stay you cannot stay in longer but after 30 minutes there are diminishing returns and it will take about 19 minutes to properly heat shock the body and achieve the benefits.

In Conclusion

There is a a lot of research to suggest using a sauna 2-3 times per week or more will reduce many cardiovascular and neurodegenerative disease. While there are benefits to doing this more often realistically that is not for everyone. But, incorporating 57 total minutes of 2-3 sauna sessions per week is doable. Not only will this reduce risk of heart attack, stroke, dementia, etc. by about 20-25% but this could also improve performance and heat stress adaption. This done in conjunction with an exercise routine is a great way to improve overall health and lose weight.

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