How Regular Sauna Sessions Can Enhance Athletic Performance

A recent global survey of sauna usage found that the number one reason people use a sauna was (unsurprisingly) relaxation and stress reduction. While it’s true that regular sessions in the sauna can be an effective way to unwind and disconnect, many users are unaware of the extra health benefits and effects on athletic performance. Saunas are a powerful tool for boosting your training and giving your body the best environment for muscle recovery, hormone function, protein synthesis and cardiovascular development. In fact, there’s some evidence to suggest that a session in the sauna can have the same benefits of going for a run/jog.

Here, we’re unpacking the science and uncovering all the potential benefits of saunas so you can best utilise them in your fitness routine.

What's In It for Athletes?

Some of the main benefits of regular sauna sessions for athletes include:

• Improved Muscle Recovery
• Stress Relief and Mental Clarity
• Enhanced Cardiovascular Endurance
• Increased Hormone Function
• Boosted Protein Synthesis
• Improved Flexibility and Mobility

Improve Muscle Recovery

A lot of fitness boils down to muscle recovery. No matter what your goals are, all modes of fitness will depend on how well your muscles can repair and rebuild themselves.

Saunas work by raising your body temperature and increasing blood flow. This process assists in delivering oxygen and glucose to the muscles, streamlining the recovery process.

Heat exposure helps reduce muscle soreness, and the sweating process can help flush out toxins from the muscles and tissues, promoting faster healing.

By providing an environment conducive to the recovery phase, saunas complement other recovery methods like massage or stretching. For athletes, this means quicker turnaround times between workouts and reduced risk of overtraining injuries.

Relieve Stress

Stress management is at the core of many fitness routines. Both physical and mental stress can inhibit performance and frustrate your body’s recovery process.

When you spend time in a sauna, your body enters a state of relaxation and improves overall mental clarity. This is especially beneficial for athletes during high-intensity training blocks or competitive seasons when mental fatigue can set in. Studies have shown that using a sauna regularly can reduce incidents of high blood pressure as well as the risk of heart attacks and strokes. This is a result of the stress relieving effects of sauna thermotherapy.

It’s one of the reasons we also recommend massage chairs in your fitness routine.

Cardiovascular Endurance

Regular sauna use and other forms of heat therapy have been linked to enhanced cardiovascular health, which is crucial in athletic performance, particularly for endurance athletes. When exposed to heat, the body experiences an increase in heart rate similar to that of moderate physical exercise. This improves cardiovascular efficiency and may help boost overall endurance levels.

Sauna sessions can enhance vascular function and improve circulation, allowing for better oxygen delivery to tissues during exercise. By increasing blood flow, saunas promote the removal of metabolic waste products from muscles, helping with both endurance and recovery.

Increase Hormone Function

Hormonal balance is a critical factor in athletic performance, influencing everything from muscle growth to fat loss and recovery. Sauna use has been shown to elevate the production of key hormones which play vital roles in muscle repair and development. Heat exposure helps stimulate these hormones, promoting better muscle regeneration after training.

Saunas can help normalise cortisol levels, which, when elevated, can interfere with muscle growth and performance. Consistent sauna sessions can create a better hormonal environment for building strength and enhancing overall fitness levels.

Enhance Protein Synthesis

Protein synthesis is the process by which the body builds new proteins, and it's essential for muscle growth and repair. Saunas help support this process by increasing heat shock proteins, which work to repair damaged proteins in muscles, improving the recovery process.

The increased blood flow that occurs during sauna sessions ensures that the nutrients necessary for protein synthesis reach the muscles more efficiently. By enhancing the body's ability to repair and rebuild muscle tissue, saunas can help athletes recover faster and improve their long-term gains.

Conclusion

Regardless of whether you’re a professional athlete or a casual gym-goer, saunas are an invaluable tool that can boost not just your training but your overall health and wellbeing. So, next time you hit the gym, consider rounding off your session with a soothing sauna experience to supercharge your recovery and performance.