Sauna Benefits for Athletes: Boost Performance and Recovery

Discover the Science Behind Sauna Use and How to Optimize It for Athletic Performance

The world of athletics has seen a rising trend in the use of saunas for enhanced performance and recovery. With numerous scientific studies and anecdotal evidence supporting the benefits of regular sauna use, it’s no surprise that athletes across various sports are turning to this ancient practice. In this article, we’ll dive into the benefits of sauna use for athletes and it can help your body recover faster, especially for runners with ITBS. We’ll also explore the physiological adaptations and hormonal changes that occur as a result of regular sauna use.

Improved Cardiovascular Performance

sauna helps promote blood flow and lactate acid recovery

Research has shown that regular sauna use can lead to enhanced cardiovascular performance, which is critical for athletes across sports. A study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology found that endurance athletes who incorporated sauna sessions into their training regimen experienced a significant increase in plasma volume and red blood cell count. These physiological changes ultimately resulted in improved oxygen transport and overall athletic performance.

Plasma volume, an essential component of blood, plays a vital role in maintaining blood pressure and supplying oxygen and nutrients to the body’s tissues. An increase in plasma volume allows the heart to pump blood more efficiently, thus improving cardiovascular function. Red blood cells, on the other hand, are responsible for transporting oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body. An increase in red blood cell count enhances the body’s ability to deliver oxygen to working muscles, which is crucial for athletic performance.

One of the mechanisms behind these adaptations is the body’s response to heat stress. During a sauna session, the body’s core temperature rises, triggering a series of physiological responses, including increased heart rate, dilation of blood vessels, and enhanced blood flow. These adaptations work together to improve the body’s ability to tolerate heat and deliver oxygen more efficiently, ultimately leading to better performance during exercise.

In addition to the increase in plasma volume and red blood cell count, sauna use has also been linked to improved cardiovascular efficiency. This efficiency is measured by the heart’s ability to pump blood and deliver oxygen to working muscles. A study published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology found that regular sauna use resulted in a lower resting heart rate and a lower heart rate during submaximal exercise, indicating increased cardiovascular efficiency.

Faster Recovery and Reduced Muscle Soreness

Saunas have been proven to promote faster recovery and reduced muscle soreness after strenuous exercise, making them an invaluable tool for athletes looking to optimize their training and performance. A study published in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport demonstrated that athletes who used a sauna after exercise experienced a significant reduction in delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and improved muscle strength recovery. These benefits can be attributed to the heat-induced physiological responses that occur during a sauna session.

The heat from the sauna promotes increased blood flow, which is essential for the recovery process. Improved blood circulation helps to remove waste products, such as lactic acid and other metabolites, that accumulate in the muscles during exercise. The efficient removal of these waste products can alleviate muscle soreness and facilitate faster recovery. Furthermore, enhanced blood flow also delivers vital nutrients, such as oxygen and glucose, to damaged tissues, supporting the healing process and promoting muscle repair.

In addition to improved blood circulation, saunas can also help reduce inflammation, a common response to exercise-induced muscle damage. A study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology found that regular sauna use was associated with a decrease in the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, which are molecules responsible for triggering inflammation. By reducing inflammation, athletes can experience a decrease in muscle soreness and a faster return to optimal performance levels.

Heat exposure during sauna sessions also stimulates the release of heat shock proteins (HSPs), which are critical for cellular repair and protection against damage from physical stress. HSPs help athletes recover more quickly from exercise-induced muscle damage and support overall cellular health, contributing to faster recovery times and reduced muscle soreness.

Sources

Scoon, G. S., Hopkins, W. G., Mayhew, S., & Cotter, J. D. (2007). Effect of post-exercise sauna bathing on the endurance performance of competitive male runners. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 10(4), 259-262.
Laukkanen, T., Mäkikallio, T. H., Kurl, S., & Laukkanen, J. A. (2017). Sauna-induced improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness are mediated by a reduction in blood pressure and arterial stiffness. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 117(12), 2479-2486.
Dugué, B., Smolander, J., Westerlund, T., Oksa, J., Nieminen, R., Moilanen, E., & Mikkelsson, M. (2005). Acute and long-term effects of winter swimming and whole-body cryotherapy on plasma antioxidative capacity in healthy women. Scandinavian Journal of Clinical and Laboratory Investigation, 65(5), 395-402.
Leppäluoto, J., Tuominen, M., Väänänen, A., Karpakka, J., & Vuori, J. (1986). Some cardiovascular and metabolic effects of repeated sauna bathing. Acta Physiologica Scandinavica, 128(1), 77-81.
Morton, J. P., Kayani, A. C., McArdle, A., & Drust, B. (2009). The exercise-induced stress response of skeletal muscle, with specific emphasis on humans. Sports Medicine, 39(8), 643-662.