A Look at the Benefits of Saunas for Elite Athletes
Professional athletes are constantly seeking ways to gain a competitive edge over their opponents. While intense training routines can enhance athletic performance, recovery is just as important. With temperatures usually between 176 and 212 degrees Fahrenheit, saunas are a great resource for muscle recovery following rigorous exercise. They also offer various additional health benefits.
Increases V02 Max
V02 max is your body's measure of how much oxygen it can take in and use while exercising. Working out—whether cardio or strength training—helps increase your V02 max by boosting your heart rate and forcing your body to recover from brief periods of repeated stress. The same physiological changes, including an increase in stress hormones, occur when you sit in a sauna.
"I always say for every sauna you take, it adds that much time back to your life," says Olympic gold medal winning wrestler and famed college coach Don Gable. "And if you can't exercise, at least sauna, because not only will you have heart rate increases, like a workout, but ... if nothing else, you know that you feel better. And when you know you feel better, you know something's going right."
A 2006 study, published in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, found that competitive runners who sauna bathed after each training session in a three-week period could run 32 percent further than those who didn't spend time in a sauna.
Improves Immune Health
Availability is one of the best abilities that an athlete can have. Sauna bathing, which is associated with improved immune health, can help in that regard. The same process of applying stress to the body, similar to exercise, effectively helps the body manage and recover from short-term stress. Scientific evidence shows that, over long periods, this can help your body to recover more quickly from illness.
Improves Circulation and Muscle Recovery
Heat from saunas promotes increased blood flow in the body, which helps to deliver more nutrients and oxygen to sore muscles following intense workouts. You also sweat out metabolic waste products, which contribute to delayed onset muscle soreness.
Greater Benefits through Contrast Therapy
The benefits of sauna bathing are amplified when combined with cold plunges. This practice, known as contrast therapy, triggers a "vascular pumping effect" with rapid opening and closing of blood vessels, enhancing tissue oxygenation and blood flow. It also helps to build mental resilience, a key performance metric for elite athletes.
Athletes Who Enjoy Sauna Bathing
Gable is one of many notable proponents of sauna bathing. NBA star Kevin Love and former NFL tight end Marcedes Lewis use infrared saunas for recovery, while LeBron James utilizes cryotherapy, hyperbaric oxygen chambers, and red light therapy. Maggie Hardin, a three-time US Olympian, performs a weekly sauna and ice bath contrast.