Workout Anytime
Doug Maurer
You heard that right – post exercise sauna use can improve strength, muscle growth, explosive power, and cardiovascular fitness.
A recent study with female athletes showed that a group doing a 10 minute sauna session after workouts experienced a 25% increase in jump height and 6.8% boost in peak power – outperforming the control group. Both groups performed the same workouts
Sauna use has also been shown to boost increases in muscular size and strength when performed after strength training workouts. Sauna use boost levels of Heat Shock Proteins (HSP’s). HSP’s promote muscle mass by assisting in the repair of cellular damage by attracting amino acids to damaged sites and encouraging them to convert into new muscle fibers.
Post exercise sauna use has also been shown to trigger a large secretion of growth hormone along with improved insulin sensitivity. Post exercise sauna use activates the mTOR cellular pathway which is responsible for protein synthesis in muscles and reduces muscle protein breakdown by inhibiting the FOXO pathway which increases muscle breakdown.
Research has shown that sauna use reduces muscle soreness and increases muscle strength when done after high intensity training. In addition, sauna use during periods of inactivity has been proven to help prevent muscle loss.
Sauna Use for Improved Cardiovascular Fitness
Sauna use after a cardio workout can also bring big benefits. Research has proven that sauna use mimics moderate aerobic activity meaning a sauna session is like a low to moderate intensity cardio workout.
Regular sauna use after workout results in multiple physiological adaptations that benefit cardiovascular fitness including:
Increased plasma volume and blood flow to the heart resulting in increased stroke volume (stroke volume is the amount of blood your heart can pump with each contraction). When stroke volume goes up heart rate decreases!.
Increased red blood cell count resulting in increased oxygen delivery to muscles. 
Increased blood flow to muscles and other tissues resulting in increased delivery of nutrients and disposal of cellular waste products.
Reduced rate of glycogen depletion which significantly improves endurance exercise performance. Glycogen is the storage form of blood sugar in your muscles and liver.
Lower core body temperature during workouts and heat exposure
A study showed that a 30-minute sauna session two times per week for three weeks done after a run increased run time to exhaustion by 32% in experienced runners.
