Sauna | Amazing information about saunas – are these beliefs just myths?

Sauna is still a solid part of Finnish folklore. Over the years, the health effects of saunas have also been reported worldwide, but can athletes and fitness enthusiasts benefit from saunas in particular?

What is the role of sauna in recovery, i.e. muscle recovery after sports performance and training? And can you raise or speed up your own body’s hormonal activity and even grow more muscle mass by taking a sauna?

Research sauna causes short-term changes in the body’s own natural hormone secretion in healthy individuals. For example, growth hormone concentrations increase in the bloodstream.

It has even been discussed in gym and sports circles that saunas could to some extent promote muscle growth by increasing the secretion of hormones that affect this.

“Growth hormone is an anabolic hormone that promotes muscle growth. Its higher concentration increases muscle growth. After a sauna, the increase in growth hormone is so short-lived that its effect on increasing muscle growth is mostly theoretical,” says a professor who has studied the hormonal effects of sauna use. Ilpo Huhtaniemi.

“For example, testosterone (sex hormone, increases muscle mass) does not reproducibly show clear changes during sauna use. In general, hormonal changes recover quickly after sauna use. Growth hormone rises in the same way as during physical exertion. A sauna can be considered a kind of physical stress state,” says Huhtaniemi.

Huhtaniemi according to the body also gets used to intensive sauna use over time. Adapting to the baths causes the hormonal effects of sauna to even out.

Hormonal preparations outside one’s own body have been known to be used as doping in sports and fitness. From time to time, quite interesting accounts of what happened have been heard after Käry’s visit.

“I have not yet heard that an athlete who misused growth tubes would have appealed to a lot of saunas in the event of a positive finding,” says Huhtaniemi.

Professor Jari Laukkanen points out that just taking a sauna in itself does not actually increase fitness or strength.

In this case, too, it’s about the combination of training, proper nutrition and rest familiar to athletes, which sauna can support.

“Merely taking a sauna does not require muscle work, and thus as a “workout” done exclusively, it does not increase fitness or strength either – of course, traditional training that requires muscle strength is also needed. The sauna is therefore one part of the whole in recommended training and recovery,” says Laukkanen.

According to him, in order to have health effects, the sauna should be warm enough, around 80 degrees. In order to get the benefits that can be combined with exercise, sauna should also be regular enough, i.e. sauna several days a week.

I’m galloping according to the sauna is not recommended right before a heavier workout.

“Recovery of muscle strength after strength training and sauna takes some time, at least until the next day. So if you want to get more out of your workout, you shouldn’t take a sauna before your workout, but rather at the end of the day,” says the professor.

Laukkanen says that the hormonal responses of sauna (the body’s reaction to a stimulus) are short-term, just like in one-off exercise.

According to research, a typical evening sauna would be more recommended for sports than a morning sauna.

“After taking a sauna in the evening, a slightly clearer hormonal response may occur than after a morning sauna, although the changes are very small or for some they do not occur at all,” says Laukkanen.

The so-called jogging sauna, i.e. taking a sauna after exercise or vigorous exercise, is already a concept in Finland, and some professional athletes also feel that they benefit from saunas in terms of muscle recovery.

Doctoral researcher at the Faculty of Physical Education, University of Jyväskylä Essi Ahokas says that it has been found in many studies that heat could be beneficial in general for recovery. On the other hand, contradictory results have also been obtained in studies.

For research results it affects what kind of load is recovered from, how and on what schedule the recovery is measured, and what kind of hot method has been used, as well as what kind of background the examinees have.

According to Ahokka, sauna use is theoretically thought to help muscle recovery, as the heat activates the Heat Shock proteins in the muscles, which support the muscle repair process after stress.

“However, it must be noted that the load itself also activates these HSP proteins. In addition, it has been speculated that a significant increase in the activity of HSP proteins would require a very large increase in muscle temperature, which is not necessarily achieved with a short sauna.”

Ahokas says that another mechanism at the cellular level that could explain the acceleration of recovery after sauna use is the suppression or faster progression of the inflammatory reaction in the muscles.

Ahokan recovery can in some cases also slow down in the sauna.

If the body temperature rises significantly, it can increase energy consumption and burden the nervous system, in which case recovery of performance may slow down.

“If the load from which you are recovering has already consumed a lot of energy and caused dehydration, or has been carried out in hot conditions, it is worth considering whether taking a sauna makes sense. It can act as an additional stress for the body. In that case, I would prefer other means to speed up recovery,” says Ahokas.

Sweating and dehydration can increase as the sauna progresses, even quickly. It is well known that, especially when taking a long sauna, you must remember to drink between baths. For an athlete, this is emphasized in the entirety of training and competition.

“I would also note that no recovery method can replace adequate hydration, nutrition and sleep, as well as sensibly planned training,” says Ahokas.

His according to him, the research evidence that heat relieves pain, at least momentarily, is quite clear – and of course this can have positive effects on performance in itself.

On a general level, regular sauna use is generally believed to be good for the cardiovascular system.

Regular sauna is attached to a lower risk of cardiovascular diseases, sudden cardiac death and cerebral infarction.

Duodecim Health Library according to, sauna temporarily lowers blood pressure, and abundant sauna seems to be associated with a reduced risk of developing hypertension.

The sauna has also been found to improve the elasticity of the blood vessel wall.

Professor Laukkanen also wants to emphasize the relaxing effects of sauna, which cannot be underestimated as stressful in the case of frequent competitive sports or fitness sports.

“Sauna improves mental well-being.”