To say the sauna is a foundational element of Finnish society would be an understatement. Some even view it as a holy place, behaving as they would in a church. It’s no wonder, since beyond providing a feel-good experience, the heat helps balance many health concerns including hypertension, fatigue, discomfort, and certain cravings.
Benefits of Using the Sauna
Many studies have investigated the health benefits of using a sauna, and the results have been very positive.
Fibromyalgia Symptom Support
The Department of Rehabilitation and Physical Medicine at Japan’s Kagoshima University conducted a study involving 44 women with fibromyalgia symptoms. Three days a week, participants engaged in daily sauna sessions combined with twice-weekly water exercise sessions. Researchers reported that this combination improved the participants’ quality of life and alleviated fibromyalgia symptoms.
Promotes Heart Health
Some critics have mistakenly claimed that saunas are too stressful on the heart. However, the UKK Institute for Health Promotion Research in Finland found that responsible sauna use is unlikely to cause cardiac concerns. In fact, research from the Cardiovascular and Prevention Centre at Quebec’s Université de Montréal showed that exercise and sauna bathing provided a 24-hour window of symptom improvement for individuals with hypertension. It is worth noting, however, that the old tradition of jumping from the sauna into the snow can increase the risk of cardiac arrhythmias due to the extreme cooling.
Improves Endurance
A study in New Zealand involving distance runners found that sauna bathing increased their run time to exhaustion by 32 percent. Additionally, plasma and red-cell volumes increased by 7.1 percent and 3.5 percent, respectively. Researchers concluded that the increase in blood volume likely contributed to the significant enhancement of performance observed after sauna bathing.
Might Reduce Incidence of the Cold
Austria’s University of Vienna conducted an experiment to determine if sauna use affected the incidence of the common cold. Over six months, a total of 50 subjects were split into two groups: 25 used the sauna and 25 did not. By the end of the study, the sauna group experienced significantly fewer colds than the control group. Researchers concluded that regular sauna bathing might reduce the incidence of common colds.
Assists Detoxification
Research has consistently shown that sweating in a sauna can help detoxify the body of toxic agents like lactic acid, sodium, and uric acid that accumulate in the body. Toxins stored in subcutaneous fat are released through perspiration. As these toxins pass through sweat, those stored deeper in the body’s tissues also move up and continue to be released. Sauna use increases circulation and blood flow, which improves blood oxygenation. Enhanced oxygen levels can help dissolve hidden toxic agents in the blood.
According to the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine, sauna bathing is an effective component of purification and cleansing protocols, particularly for flushing out fat-soluble chemicals and toxins. Law enforcement officers, often at risk of exposure to harmful substances like methamphetamine and the chemicals used to produce it, can suffer chronic, disabling symptoms. The Utah Meth Cops Project conducted a study with 69 officers following a detoxification program that included exercise, nutrition, and sauna therapy. Significant health improvements were observed, leading researchers to conclude that sauna and nutritional therapy may alleviate some symptoms of methamphetamine-related exposure.