Faster post-workout recovery is a huge source of a lot of steam room and sauna use. In most commercial fitness facilities, hotel gyms, and spas, you’ll find steam rooms partly for this purpose. When we lift weights, lactic acid builds up in the muscles resulting in soreness. In a steam, hyperthermic conditioning decreases the amount of lactic acid build-up.
In addition to the personal experience you’ll find using heat therapy post-workout, studies also have shown steam rooms and saunas reduce exercise-induced muscle damage and delayed on-set muscle soreness. Through infrared heat in particular, one can improve the recovery of neuromuscular system after a maximized endurance performance.
There’s a lot that a steam room can accomplish for someone who is taxing their bodies with regular workouts. Muscle regrowth is a key benefit of steam rooms post-workout. This is because steam rooms increase growth hormone levels in the body, albeit temporarily, by as much as five times.
Growth hormone increases insulin-like growth factor I, also known as ‘IGF-1’, increasing protein synthesis and decreasing protein breakdown. Saunas and steam rooms also increase insulin sensitivity, resulting in more uptake of amino acids and enhanced muscle growth. Another advantage to using a steam room after exercise is in protecting muscle mass in periods of immobilization and in reducing oxidative stress in the body.
Lastly, HSPs or ‘heat shock proteins’ are believed to act as a protectant against rhabdomyolysis, a condition caused by muscle breakdown due to overuse which can lead to kidney failure. Through hyperthermic conditions, higher amounts of HSPs are produced which can help move past the risks associated with this condition.
After a particularly strenuous workout – you know the kind, when you sweat right through your t-shirt – you may not want to immediately jump into a room to continue sweating. Hear us out though. Sweat is your friend and so is heat, especially post-workout. Give it a few weeks. Take in some steam for no longer than twenty minutes after you’re done lifting weights. No doubt, you’ll see a difference in how your muscles behave as well as possibly with your mental health.
It’s not just extra time at the gym. Top exercise physiologists, academics, and heat stress researchers support the use of saunas and steam rooms in the gym. There are a few tips to remember, when using a steam room at a fitness facility. Steams are best done after a workout, as they will relax the muscles which is not what you want before heading into lifting weights. You will also want to stay hydrated throughout your session – something which is very important. Drink water before, during, and after.
Note how you feel walking out of a steam room. Do your muscles feel different? Do you feel energized? Do you feel better coming out than you did walking in? Are you noticing any differences later in the day with your focus or energy? These are all positive consequences weightlifters and gym enthusiasts have noticed after using steam rooms and saunas a few times.
Are you a fitness facility seeking a steam room or sauna? Are you a gym-goer who wants to purchase a steam room or sauna for their own home? Contact Steam Sauna. In the end, it’ll do a lot of good, believe us when we say. Just remember to stay hydrated, be smart about the length of time you stay in, and consider how it is benefiting you in the 24 hours afterwards.