When most of us think of the sauna, we imagine sitting in spa and relaxing. It’s not often we connect using a sauna with improving our running performance.
However, strategically using the sauna in your gym may actually be a secret weapon you can use in your training!
Don’t believe me?
Well, we investigated some of the modern scientific research on sauna bathing and how it could be beneficial for your running.
Benefits of sauna bathing
#1 Heat Adaptation
Breathing in the hot, dry air of a traditional sauna, which can range in temperature from 160 to 212 °F, has a number of direct physiological effects.
A 2001 review study summarized the body’s response to the heat of a sauna in quite authoritatively. Specifically, they found…
- Heart rate increased during sauna use
- Sweat production increases
- Blood flow to the skin rises sharply
These changes are very similar to the kinds of adaptations seen when first acclimating to a naturally hot environment.
Because of this, regular sauna bathing might be a way to acclimate to training or racing in hot weather.
This could could be very useful if you’re living in a northern climate but planning on running a winter or spring race in a hot location.
It might also help you transition from spring to summer training in May and June when you’re not adapted to the hot weather yet.
#2 Improved Lung Function
The heat of a sauna has a direct impact on the lungs as well.
The impact of sauna use on the lungs was described in a 1988 review by three researchers in Helsinki. They found…
- Lung capacity and function increase by around 10% in the sauna.
- People with asthma and chronic bronchitis report that saunas clear up their lung congestion and help them breathe easier.
- A separate small study even found that regular sauna bathing decreases the incidence of the common cold by up to 50%.
However, be aware that saunas did not decrease the duration or severity of symptoms, and other researchers caution that you should not take a sauna while you have an upper respiratory infection like the cold, or any illness that produces a fever.
Hannuksela and Ellahham also cite five studies showing that sauna bathing increases growth hormone levels in the blood by 200-500%.
Though this increase is transient, growth hormone has powerful and well-known benefits when it comes to workout recovery and performance increases.
#3 Direct Performance Improvements
Only one study has investigated the direct effects of regular saunas on running performance, but its results were impressive.
A 2006 study by Guy S.M. Scoon and other researchers at the University of Otago in New Zealand measured the effects of post-workout saunas on performance over a treadmill run to exhaustion.
Over the course of the nine-week study, six male runners undertook a series of three 3-week training blocks: one where every training session was followed with a 30-min sauna, a “washout” period to eliminate any confounding variables, and a control period with the same training but no sauna use.
After each training block, the runners completed a treadmill run to exhaustion at personal-record 5k pace.
Regular sauna use resulted in a 30% increase in time to exhaustion, which, according to the authors, would translate to about a 2% improvement in time in an actual race.
You might be able to write off the results as artifacts from small sample sizes, but Scoon et al. were able to show a strong correlation between improvement in time to exhaustion and increase in blood volume.
Summit it Up
Even though sauna bathing is a tradition that’s hundreds of years old, research into its possible uses in runners is still in the early stages.
General research on the physiological effects of sauna bathing suggests that taking regular saunas can…
- Improve your heat adaptation
- Increase growth hormone levels
- Clear up congestion
- Increase your resistance to upper respiratory infections like the common cold
- Confer a performance-boosting increase in blood volume, similar to the effects of doing a stretch of training in hot weather before returning to cool weather to compete.
So, now that we know that regular sauna use has quite a bit of research to support its efficacy, what’s the best way to implement it into your training?
How to Implement Sauna Into Your Training
First, if you have any existing medical conditions or you’re pregnant, I’d avoid using the sauna without first consulting with your physician. While all the advice below is based on research and scientific data, it’s always better to be safe.
With that said, let’s start with how often you should be using the sauna.
How Often Should You Sauna
Frequency is perhaps where we see the biggest variance in protocol from the research. Some of the variance appears to also derive from intended benefits.
For our use case, we’re mainly concerned with workout recovery, running performance, and overall health.
Therefore, you should aim for sauna sessions 2-4 times per week.
There wasn’t any data from the research that demonstrated any specific day was better than another (i.e. post workout, rest day, after long runs, etc.).
My suggestion is to start at two times per week and if your body tolerates the sauna well, then increase to four times provided you have the time.
Ideal Sauna Session Length
The available research is pretty clear that sauna sessions should last between 5-20 minutes.
The longest session consistently studied was 30 minutes, but that didn’t seem to provide any additional benefits compared to 2o minute exposures.
Therefore, to be safe and effective, I wouldn’t sauna for more than 20 minutes at a time.
Ideal Sauna Temperature
Based on a review of the literature, it appears that the ideal temperature is 176-212 ℉.
That said, you should definitely use your own comfort and tolerance as a guide. You should feel fairly comfortable at the temperature you choose and definitely not be struggling.
Like the protocol for length, it’s okay to gradually introduce yourself to higher temperatures.
Starting on the lower end of the temperature range and increasing with comfort level is advised.
Other Considerations to Sauna Use
My final recommendation is to make sure you stay hydrated before, during and after the sauna.
You should aim to drink at least 16 ounces of water for every 10 minutes you spend in the sauna.
What questions do you have about sauna use? Did a look at the research convince you to hit the sauna at your gym?
One Response
Wow! We actually have a sauna on our basement )husband is 50% Finnish. I sauna occasionally mostly to make him happy. Now I have additional motivation! Sounds like a win-win to me!