Dr. Sarah Gottfried is a physician, lecturer, yoga teacher and author, a graduate of Harvard and MIT. Over the past 25 years, Dr. Sara has practiced functional medicine as a certified gynecologist. She has long written about the benefits of the sauna, including these 5 important ones:
1. Activation of the longevity gene called FOXO31, which activates genes for stress resilience, antioxidant production, protein maintenance, DNA repair (prevents mutations) and tumor destruction. Most of these genes decrease in genomic expression with age.
2. Increases insulin sensitivity2 (more glucose receptors on muscle cells), resulting in a striking 1% unit reduction in glycated hemoglobin, fasting blood glucose and body weight in people with diabetes.
3. Enriches heart rate variability3 and nervous system balance.4
4. Improves athletic performance (endurance, less muscle wasting, more plasma volume).5
5. Increases stress tolerance by reducing the sympathetic nervous system, as evidenced by reduced adrenaline and cortisol in just seven days.6
She also states that saunas generate "runner's euphoria" and stimulate growth hormone and testosterone.7 They are relaxing; they decrease stress while increasing health. She suggests starting with twenty minutes, four times a week. She says dry saunas have the most evidence of helping you age well1, but infrared saunas are not far behind.
References :
1. Rhonda P. Patricka & Teresa L. Johnson. Sauna use as a lifestyle practice to extend healthspan. Experimental Gerontology. Volume 154, 15 October 2021, 111509. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.exger.2021.111509
2. Vandana V Shiralkar, Pratap Jagtap, Bharati Vidyapeeth, Gajanan J Belwalkar, Nitin S Nagane, Sushama P. Dhonde. Effect of Steam Sauna Bath on Fasting Blood Glucose Level in Healthy Adults. Indian Journal of Medical Biochemistry June 2018 22(1):18-21 DOI:10.5005/jp-journals-10054-0047. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/326203347_Effect_of_Steam_Sauna_Bath_on_Fasting_Blood_Glucose_Level_in_Healthy_Adults
3. Laukkanen T, Lipponen J, Kunutsor SK, et al. Recovery from sauna bathing favorably modulates cardiac autonomic nervous system. Complement Ther Med 2019; 45:190-7. PMID: 31331560. DOI: 1016/j.ctim.2019.06.011. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31331560/
4. Masuda A., Nakazato M., Kihara T., Minagoe S., Tei C. Repeated Thermal Therapy Diminishes Appetite Loss and Subjective Complaints in Mildly Depressed Patients. Med.2005; 67:643–647. doi: 10.1097/01.psy.0000171812.67767.8f. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16046381/
5. Nathalie V Kirby, Samuel J E Lucas, Oliver J Armstrong, Samuel R Weaver, Rebekah A I Lucas. Intermittent post-exercise sauna bathing improves markers of exercise capacity in hot and temperate conditions in trained middle-distance runners. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2021 Feb;121(2):621-635. doi: 10.1007/s00421-020-04541-z. Epub 2020 Nov 19. PMID: 33211153. PMCID: PMC7862510. DOI: 1007/s00421-020-04541-z. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33211153/
6. Huhtaniemi I.T., Laukkanen J.A. Endocrine effects of sauna bath. Opin. Endocr. Metab. Res. 2020; 11:15–20. doi: 10.1016/j.coemr.2019.12.004. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2451965019301048?via%3Dihub
7. Hannuksela, M. L. & Ellahham, S. Benefits and risks of sauna bathing. The American journal of medicine 110, 118-126 (2001). DOI:1016/S0002-9343(00)00671-9 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/12163683_Benefits_and_risks_of_sauna_bathing
