How Saunas Help With Athletic Performance

Saunas have been around for a great many years and with the modern day technology, the advancements that have been made in these is significant. The most common uses for the sauna is for relaxation, to detox the body, and for the treatment of many different types of common ailments.

Athletes have learned that the use of a sauna can help lead them to much better performance. The sauna has the ability to increase the core temperature of an individual for a short period of time, which helps to improve athletic performance. This is typically called hypothermic conditioning.

Hypothermic conditioning is being researched further for its potential ability to stimulate the growth of new brain cells, as well as having positive effects on the body in general. Being able to increase one's level of endurance in any sport usually acts as a great bonus. Most often, the athletes exercise at a high intensity, while using this as their main way to build their endurance. When doing this, it usually will increase the body temperature during the session.

Wen an individual is acclimatizing to the heat in the sauna, it helps the body adapt quicker during body temperature elevation. This is normal heat stress, which creates some positive affects in the body. There was a study done where individuals were subjected to a 30 minute sauna session twice a week for a period of three weeks after they had completed their workouts. The end results indicated that there increase in time to run until they reached their exhausted level was increased by 30%.

There is further research being done in regards to the possibility of a sauna being able to produce a mass release in the human growth hormone. A reduction in the HGH usually comes with age and being able to increase these levels tends to make one healthier and stronger.

Aside from athletes, many others find that the benefits that the sauna offers by way of relaxation and reducing muscle soreness in itself is a great benefit.