Heart Health
Saunas can improve heart health, in part, by mimicking cardiovascular exercise. They increase heart rate—and can increase cardiac output by up to ~70%—and improve blood flow throughout the body. They can also help reduce chronic inflammation, with more frequent sauna use being associated with lower levels of inflammatory markers like C-reactive protein (CRP). Saunas also increase levels of anti-inflammatory molecules like IL-10, and they can help improve the function of the endothelial cells lining blood vessels. But I’m getting ahead of myself. I promise we’ll get deeper into the mechanisms on the back half of this video. – Read on Substack
Brain Health
First, saunas can increase levels of the brain-protective hormone brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). One study showed that heat challenge—in this case, 20 minutes of hot water immersion at 42°C—significantly increased BDNF levels, whereas immersion in thermoneutral water did not. – Read on Substack
Longevity
Now, a quick comment on longevity. Typically, better healthspan—as reflected by lower rates of chronic disease—should translate to longer life at a population level. And we do in fact see that.
There is a 40% reduced risk of all-cause mortality in those who used saunas 4–7 times per week compared to once-per-week users.
Learn more about our sauna offerings here.