Sauna & Heat Therapy Research
Peer-reviewed research on sauna bathing, infrared therapy, heat shock proteins, and cardiovascular benefits of heat exposure.
Research Synthesis
Key findings from 1,945 peer-reviewed studies on sauna and heat therapy.
All-Cause Mortality Reduction
Finnish Sauna studies show 40% reduction in all-cause mortality for those using sauna 4-7x per week vs 1x per week.
Cardiovascular Protection
Regular sauna use reduces risk of sudden cardiac death by 63% and cardiovascular disease mortality by 50% (20-year follow-up).
Heat Shock Proteins
Sauna activates HSP70 and HSP90, which repair misfolded proteins, protect against oxidative stress, and enhance cellular resilience.
Dementia Risk Reduction
4-7 sauna sessions per week associated with 66% lower risk of dementia and 65% lower risk of Alzheimer's disease.
Growth Hormone Release
Two 20-minute sauna sessions at 80°C can increase growth hormone by 200-300%, with longer sessions showing up to 16x increase.
Improved Recovery
Post-exercise sauna use enhances muscle recovery, reduces delayed onset muscle soreness, and improves endurance performance.
How Sauna Benefits Health
Heat Stress
Core temperature rises 1-2°C
HSP Activation
Heat shock proteins repair cells
Cardiovascular Load
Heart rate rises like exercise
Adaptation
Improved stress resilience