CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH

Regular sauna use can improve cardiovascular health.

Laukkanen et al. found that by using the sauna regularly, participants reduced their risk of fatal cardiovascular events/stroke. This study found that increasing the frequency and duration of sauna sessions subsequently decreased the long-term risk of cardiovascular disease. Additionally, sauna use has been studied by other clinical groups and positively correlated with a reduction in "all-cause mortality" - an umbrella term for death from any cause.

Heat will trigger some of the same mechanisms in the brain and body as if you were physically engaged in cardiovascular exercise. During the sauna, heart rate and blood flow increase, and blood vessels vasodilate (widen) as your body works to cool itself to regulate body temperature.

PROTOCOL #1

SAUNA FOR CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH

To use the sauna to benefit cardiovascular health, try the following protocol. Heat the sauna to a temperature between 80 and 100 degrees.

NOTE: Your personal heat tolerance should determine the actual temperature. Aim to stay in the sauna for 5 to 20 minutes per session and repeat sauna use 2 to 3 times per week, or as often as 7 times per week. More often seems to be better when it comes to cardiovascular health.

IMPROVEMENT OF MOOD

Saunas have traditional roots in Scandinavian cultures. For centuries, many who regularly use the sauna have noticed a correlation between their sauna use and improved mood. The body responds to heat with a release of dynorphins and endorphins in the brain; dynorphins initially cause discomfort and restlessness but biochemically set the stage for endorphins to have enhanced effects on our mood and body, which is why after sauna we feel a slight, happy euphoria.

IMPROVED STRESS RESPONSE AND GENERAL HEALTH

Hormesis is a mild, tolerable stress that stimulates the body and helps it adapt positively. Hormesis can take many forms, and heat is one of them. Studies have shown that regular sauna use can decrease cortisol levels; improve activation of DNA repair/longevity pathways; and increase the activation of unique heat-dependent molecular mechanisms, called heat shock proteins, which help monitor and eventually repair the structure of proteins inside our cells. The integrity of protein structures is vital to our health and well-being.

PROTOCOL #2

SAUNA FOR GENERAL HEALTH

To reap the general health benefits of deliberate heat exposure, including mood enhancement, stress management, and enhancement of the body's hormetic (mild stress) response pathways, use the sauna for a total of 1 hour per week, but not all at once. Instead, divide this into 2 to 3 sessions. (Sauna temperature should be between 80 and 100 degrees).

GROWTH HORMONE

Growth hormone plays a key role in stimulating muscle growth, strengthening bones, repairing tissues and increasing metabolism. Growth hormone is released at night while we sleep. Unfortunately, with age there is a decrease in the natural amount of growth hormone. However, occasional use of specific sauna protocols has been shown to dramatically boost the amount of growth hormone released (up to 16 times in one study!).

PROTOCOL #3

SAUNA FOR GROWTH HORMONE RELEASE

To use the sauna for better growth hormone release, use the sauna infrequently (once a week or less). However, on the days you use the sauna, stay in the sauna for several sessions of 30 minutes each, with recovery periods between each session. Peer-reviewed research indicates that this protocol works well for increasing growth hormone: 30 minutes in the sauna, then cool down outside the sauna for 5 minutes, then 30 more minutes in the sauna, then cool down. A few hours (or more) later in the day, you repeat this for a total of four 30-minute sauna sessions in one day (that's a lot!).