In a sauna or steam room, your body is being exposed to heat stress but the good kind. The activation of heat shock proteins, which happens when you use a sauna, can improve energy production in a variety of ways.
A major way is through better mitochondrial function. The mitochondria are the body’s energy generators and exists in all of our cells. The size, power, number, and effectiveness of function of our mitochondria largely dictate the capacity of it to impact our energy. Any time mitochondria is weak, damaged, or unhealthy, this translates to you being as well. There’s more and more research coming out suggesting weak mitochondrial health is related to some chronic diseases and even aging. Here’s how to help yourself.
Saunas impact on energy has not been extensively studied, similar to its impact on the mitochondria. That said, some evidence suggests saunas help in a handful of ways. An infrared sauna can stimulate the body to make more mitochondria resulting in a greater capacity to produce energy, can make the mitochondria bigger and stronger, will improve the body’s antioxidant and detoxification system, and stimulates cells to recycle and repair damaged mitochondria.
It is worth saying that when we talk about infrared heat therapy giving us more energy, it’s not instant. For this reason, saunas and steam rooms aren’t recommended before an athletic performance. The way it loosens muscles and relaxes a person increases the risk of injury. That aside, immediately after a workout, sports game, or athletic performance, a sauna can help to de-stress the muscles and aids with the body’s natural healing mechanisms. Thereby, you shouldn’t expect a big energy boost necessarily after you walk out of a sauna.
Long-term however, you should see a difference. An infrared sauna improves energy by strengthening the body’s internal systems. We get stronger and more efficient at creating and handling energy production. Similarly, if you change the way you eat, it doesn’t occur instantly but over time, you begin to have more energy. The same thing happens when someone starts exercising. As the body becomes more effective at creating energy via regular sauna sessions, this only has positive benefits.
If you have trouble sleeping, another way a sauna helps energy production is through relieving insomnia and sleeping issues. You may feel that, after a couple sessions, you’re sleeping more effectively. This rest can rejuvenate your system and allow you to feel more energized come morning. No longer are you tossing and turning, struggling to remain asleep, or being kept up by your body refusing to cooperate. A sauna relaxes a person to the point where they can get a good night’s rest like their biology intended.
All a person has to do is sit up to 20 minutes in the heat. After a few sessions, the benefits should start to become clear. Also, athletes aren’t the only ones using steam rooms and infrared heat therapy for energy. Chronic pain patients and individuals who might not have the mobility to exercise regularly use saunas to help them relax, loosen up muscles and joints, to improve sleep, and to give additional energy throughout the day.
Combined with the right diet and a solid sleep schedule, a sauna’s long-term effects on energy can be significant. Give a sauna a try and see it for yourself. Buy an infrared sauna exclusively through Steam Sauna.