Positive and negative aspects of sauna bathing – current knowledge status

Introduction: Sauna bathing as a health-promoting activity has been known to mankind for millennia. Sauna session, which consists of alternate overheating and then rapidly cooling the body, has a beneficial effect on the health of the body confirmed by scientific research. In the last few decades, sauna bathing has become more available due to the growing market of recreational services such as water parks and sauna parks. Regular use of sauna bathing reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases, musculoskeletal disorders, mental stress, accelerates the process of regeneration after physical exertion, as well as increases resistance to the harmful effects of certain environmental factors. Despite the health benefits known for many years, the physiological mechanisms occurring in the body during sauna sessions still remain unknown. Sauna bathing treatments can be an effective complement to the process of treatment and rehabilitation of patients with cardiovascular diseases, musculoskeletal diseases, respiratory tract diseases, skin diseases and many others. Material and methods: A literature analysis on sauna bathing was carried out within the Pubmed and Google scholar platforms. The following keywords were used in search: sauna bathing, infrared sauna, cardiovascular diseases. Purpose of the work: The aim of the following analysis is to present a historical outline of the use of sauna bathing, the health aspect, risks and the assumptions and indicating an important need for further research into the effects of sauna bathing on the body.

Sex differences in adaptation to intermittent post-exercise sauna bathing in trained middle-distance runners

Background The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of sex on the efficacy of intermittent post-exercise sauna bathing to induce heat acclimation and improve markers of temperate exercise performance in trained athletes. Methods Twenty-six trained runners (16 female; mean ± SD, age 19 ± 1 years, V̇O2max F: 52.6 ± 6.9 mL⋅kg−1⋅min−1, M: 64.6 ± 2.4 mL⋅kg−1⋅min−1) performed a running heat tolerance test (30 min, 9 km⋅h−1/2% gradient, 40 °C/40%RH; HTT) and temperate (18 °C) exercise tests (maximal aerobic capacity [V̇O2max] and lactate profile) pre and post 3 weeks of normal exercise training plus 29 ± 1 min post-exercise sauna bathing (101–108 °C) 3 ± 1 times per week. Results Females and males exhibited similar reductions (interactions p > 0.05) in peak rectal temperature (− 0.3 °C; p < 0.001), skin temperature (− 0.9 °C; p < 0.001) and heart rate (− 9 beats·min−1; p = 0.001) during the HTT at post- vs pre-intervention. Only females exhibited an increase in active sweat glands on the forearm (measured via modified iodine technique; F: + 57%, p < 0.001; M: + 1%, p = 0.47). Conversely, only males increased forearm blood flow (measured via venous occlusion plethysmography; F: + 31%, p = 0.61; M: + 123%; p < 0.001). Females and males showed similar (interactions p > 0.05) improvements in V̇O2max (+ 5%; p = 0.02) and running speed at 4 mmol·L−1 blood lactate concentration (+ 0.4 km·h−1; p = 0.001). Conclusions Three weeks of post-exercise sauna bathing effectively induces heat acclimation in females and males, though possibly amid different thermoeffector adaptations. Post-exercise sauna bathing is also an effective ergogenic aid for both sexes.

Implementation Of Diabetic Foot Spa And Sauna Bathing On Quality Of Sleep And Blood Glucose Levels In Individuals With Type 2 Diabetes

Background: Diabetes is a chronic disease of glucose metabolism, which causes blood circulation obstruction such as tingling and leg pain, and itching. This study aims to determine the effect of diabetic foot spa and sauna bathing on sleep quality and blood glucose levels in individuals with type 2 diabetes. Methods: The design used a quasi-experimental. This study's population was all individuals with type 2 diabetes, applied simple random sampling, and a sample size of 60 respondents. The inclusion criteria were individuals with type 2 diabetes who did not have complications. The independent variables were sleep quality and blood glucose levels. The dependent variables were diabetic foot spa and sauna bathing. The instrument used a Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PQSI) and a glucometer. The data analysis test utilized the paired t-test and independent t-test with a p-value of 0.000 (p <0.005). Results: The results of this study showed that 60 respondents, mostly (70%) women, 58.3% were aged 45- 60 years, almost half of the respondents (48.3%) had diabetes for less than one year up to five years and from the results t-test obtained p=0.000 (p <0.05). Conclusion: There was an effect of diabetic foot spa and sauna bathing on sleep quality and blood glucose levels

The Cardiometabolic Health Benefits of Sauna Exposure in Individuals with High-Stress Occupations. A Mechanistic Review

Components of the metabolic syndrome (i.e., hypertension, insulin resistance, obesity, atherosclerosis) are a leading cause of death in the United States and result in low-grade chronic inflammation, excessive oxidative stress, and the eventual development of cardiometabolic diseases (CMD). High-stress occupations (HSO: firefighters, police, military personnel, first responders, etc.) increase the risk of developing CMD because they expose individuals to chronic and multiple stressors (i.e., sleep deprivation, poor nutrition habits, lack of physical activity, psychological stress). Interestingly, heat exposure and, more specifically, sauna bathing have been shown to improve multiple markers of CMD, potentially acting as hormetic stressors, at the cellular level and in the whole organism. Therefore, sauna bathing might be a practical and alternative intervention for disease prevention for individuals with HSO. The purpose of this review is to detail the mechanisms and pathways involved in the response to both acute and chronic sauna bathing and collectively present sauna bathing as a potential treatment, in addition to current standard of care, for mitigating CMD to both clinicians and individuals serving in HSO.