Should I do sauna / heat therapy?

Our read is that sauna use offers significant physiological benefits, including improved cardiovascular health, enhanced protein synthesis, and reduced inflammation.

Experts suggest that regular, deliberate heat exposure can mimic aspects of exercise, boost antioxidant activity, and potentially reverse signs of aging.

However, proper protocols are crucial, as overuse or incorrect methods can pose risks, and it is not a substitute for exercise.

A 30-day dry Finnish sauna protocol involves 20-minute sessions at 200°F (93°C), performed 7 days a week. To mitigate potential toxin exposure, avoid using water on the rocks, wear cotton clothing instead of synthetics, and shower immediately after. Using ice packs on the testicles during sauna sessions improved Bryan Johnson's fertility markers.

• 01Sauna use can positively impact physiological aspects comparable to moderate aerobic exercise, such as blood pressure and heart rate variability (Peter Attia, Andrew Huberman, Bryan Johnson, Rhonda Patrick, Paul Saladino).
• 02Sauna use increases nitric oxide production, dilating blood vessels and mimicking exercise (Bryan Johnson, Rhonda Patrick).
• 03Sauna protocols comparable to Bryan Johnson's have been linked to significant reductions in all-cause mortality, fatal heart disease, and high blood pressure, as well as a reduction in hsCRP (Bryan Johnson, Rhonda Patrick).
• 04Heat shock proteins, induced by heat, repair damaged proteins, prevent protein oxidation by scavenging free radicals, and increase endogenous antioxidants like glutathione, leading to a net increase in protein synthesis and muscle hypertrophy (Rhonda Patrick).
• 05Deliberate heat exposure, such as sauna use, improves brain and body health (Andrew Huberman).
• 06Finnish dry saunas stimulate beneficial responses including repairing and maintaining proteins, improving blood flow, boosting antioxidant activity, optimizing metabolism, enhancing fitness, reducing inflammation, strengthening immunity, and recycling/repairing cells (Bryan Johnson).
• 07Infrared saunas may reverse skin aging and improve hair growth (David Sinclair).
• 08Combining exercise with sauna use for 8 weeks lowers blood pressure and total cholesterol (Bryan Johnson, Rhonda Patrick).
• 09Heat stress from saunas can increase glucose transporters in muscle, potentially improving insulin sensitivity and lowering blood glucose (Peter Attia).
• 10A single sauna session can flush 450-700 mg of sodium from the body (Bryan Johnson).
• 11Heat-acclimated individuals respond more quickly to heat stress with increased heat shock proteins (Rhonda Patrick).

Sauna use is not a substitute for exercise, and exceeding approximately 30 minutes in a session does not provide additional health benefits and may increase cardiovascular disease risk (Andrew Huberman). Starting with an extreme heat and cold exposure protocol can be dangerous for individuals not highly heat-adapted (Andrew Huberman). Overdoing heat or cold exposure by exceeding recommended durations can exhaust cells and increase the risk of cardiovascular disease (Andrew Huberman). Sauna and cold plunge are stressors that can be overused and negatively affect energy production (Paul Saladino). Pregnancy and unmanaged cardiovascular disease are contraindications for sauna use without consulting a clinician (Andrew Huberman, Bryan Johnson). Sick individuals should avoid saunas and focus on rest and relaxation (Andrew Huberman). A 200°F (93°C) sauna session without testicular protection led to a 50% reduction in fertility markers (Bryan Johnson). Avoid synthetic towels, synthetic blends, and heavily treated fabrics in saunas, and do not add water to the rocks to prevent toxin release (Bryan Johnson). Wet saunas are more intense than dry saunas and carry a greater risk of heatstroke due to the prevention of sweat evaporation (Bryan Johnson). A sauna temperature of 163°F (73°C) for 30 minutes may be insufficient for achieving long-term mortality and chronic disease reduction benefits (Bryan Johnson). Steam baths, hot tubs, and infrared saunas may be less effective than dry saunas for health benefits (Bryan Johnson).

The mortality reduction benefits of sauna use observed in Finnish datasets may not be as strongly demonstrable in other populations (Peter Attia). The mechanism of action for sauna's health benefits is not definitively known (Bryan Johnson). Concerns exist that sauna use, particularly with certain clothing materials and potential toxins in water used on rocks, could exacerbate toxin levels (Bryan Johnson). Sauna may offer unique benefits for detoxification, but its benefits for longevity are questionable if one is already highly active (Paul Saladino). There is no definitive data proving an additive effect between time-restricted eating and sauna use, though it is possible (Rhonda Patrick). The robustness of the response to other heat stressors after hyperthermic conditioning is uncertain (Rhonda Patrick).