Dry Sauna Benefits

TubZy

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I used to use the dry sauna at my old gym religiously like 6 years ago and loved it. Then I moved to and started a new gym without a sauna and never used it since then. I'm starting back up again with a diff gym that has a dry sauna after reading many people talk about it lately.

Since @gbolduev and others like to talk about saunas, lets discuss some of the benefits of using a sauna in relation to overall health, ARL, minerals etc. First couple things that come to my mind are detoxing metals and the ability to rebalance minerals.
 

bruschi11

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Hyperthermia for killing pathogens. Sweating out toxins for detox. These I believe are advantages of dry sauna.

Not sure about mineral balance though. But if you kill pathogens via hyperthermia you’re left with a more balanced system. Pathogens have the capabilities to imbalance us badly. So yes, in the long run this can help balance us in a way.

I do not know if it’s something that should be done daily for balance. I’ve enjoyed using them this year and see myself installing some sort of a sauna when I get my own house in the future.
 

Aleksandr

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(dry sauna = infrared?)

I'm curious if @gbolduev you think that a dry sauna is good for people in 3 or 4 lows? Or mostly good for slow oxidisers with a slow oxidiser hair test?

i imagine it would get rid of a lot of minerals (great for slows who are clogged with heavy metals - not good for fasts who aren't clogged, and who may be put into 3 or 4 lows from additional exertion??)


If excess exercise, coffee, alcohol, stress, and excess carbs all deplete minerals and push you to 4 lows..

What pushes you to 4 highs?
Nutrient dense high fat diet? Relaxing? Drinking less water?


as coffee and alcohol are diuretics i assume they put you in 4 lows because you're peeing out minerals.

so more water (or at least non-mineralised water) would make you pee out more minerals, no?



i wonder this about a lot of things too. i imagine a standard chocolate bar will deplete magnesium as a whole from your body. i.e. the small amount of magnesium in the cacao is more than used up by the large amount of sugar in the bar.

however maybe a "dark" chocolate bar, with like 80% cacao will provide more magnesium that it takes, resulting in a "profit" of magnesium to your body



Curious for your opinions, Gbolduev.
 

bruschi11

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Dry is different from infrared, would love to hear more on this tomorrow. Makes sense @m_arch .
 

bruschi11

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Yura

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I want small personal dry sauna at home really badly. Especially for the time of the year when it's cold. So I can sweat. Cold therapy with showers is not a problem, but sweating out toxins and activate some heat shock proteins is missing big time during the winter..
 

vicecaz

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Here is a good link that sums up sauna benefits:
https://www.foundmyfitness.com/reports/sauna-report.pdf

In Conclusion

To recap and drive the point home: acclimating your body to heat stress by intermittent whole-body hyperthermia through sauna use (“hyperthermic conditioning”) has been shown to:

Enhance endurance by:

  • ● Increasing nutrient delivery to muscles thereby reducing the depletion of glycogen stores.
  • ● Reducing heart rate and reducing core temperature during workload. Increase muscle hypertrophy by preventing protein degradation through the following three means:
  • ● Induction of heat shock proteins and a hormetic response (which has also been shown to increase longevity in lower organisms).
  • ● Cause a massive release of growth hormone.
  • ● Improving insulin sensitivity.
***NOTE*** It also accomplishes this arguably without the same risk that might otherwise be associated with exogenous or supraphysiological levels of other hormones, like growth hormone.

Hyperthermic conditioning also has robust positive effects on the brain:

  • ● Increases the storage and release of norepinephrine, which improves attention and focus.
  • ● Increases prolactin, which causes your brain to function faster by enhancing myelination and helps to repair damaged neurons.
  • ● Increases BDNF, which causes the growth of new brain cells, improves the ability for you to learn new information and retain it, and ameliorates certain types of depression and anxiety.
  • ● Causes a robust increase in dynorphin, which results in your body becoming more sensitive to the ensuing endorphins.
 

vicecaz

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I go maybe 4-5/week , it feels good and as bruschi mentioned I feel liike it killed the malassezia fungus partly responsible of my seborrheic dermatitis , I have little to none itching now. Still have the flakes but it might go away too
 

heygate

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whats the vibe on steam rooms and exposure to fluoride? harmful if used excessively?
 

TubZy

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Here is a good link that sums up sauna benefits:
https://www.foundmyfitness.com/reports/sauna-report.pdf

In Conclusion

To recap and drive the point home: acclimating your body to heat stress by intermittent whole-body hyperthermia through sauna use (“hyperthermic conditioning”) has been shown to:

Enhance endurance by:

  • ● Increasing nutrient delivery to muscles thereby reducing the depletion of glycogen stores.
  • ● Reducing heart rate and reducing core temperature during workload. Increase muscle hypertrophy by preventing protein degradation through the following three means:
  • ● Induction of heat shock proteins and a hormetic response (which has also been shown to increase longevity in lower organisms).
  • ● Cause a massive release of growth hormone.
  • ● Improving insulin sensitivity.
***NOTE*** It also accomplishes this arguably without the same risk that might otherwise be associated with exogenous or supraphysiological levels of other hormones, like growth hormone.

Hyperthermic conditioning also has robust positive effects on the brain:

  • ● Increases the storage and release of norepinephrine, which improves attention and focus.
  • ● Increases prolactin, which causes your brain to function faster by enhancing myelination and helps to repair damaged neurons.
  • ● Increases BDNF, which causes the growth of new brain cells, improves the ability for you to learn new information and retain it, and ameliorates certain types of depression and anxiety.
  • ● Causes a robust increase in dynorphin, which results in your body becoming more sensitive to the ensuing endorphins.

awesome man thanks
 

jacknap

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463
Here is a good link that sums up sauna benefits:
https://www.foundmyfitness.com/reports/sauna-report.pdf

In Conclusion

To recap and drive the point home: acclimating your body to heat stress by intermittent whole-body hyperthermia through sauna use (“hyperthermic conditioning”) has been shown to:

Enhance endurance by:

  • ● Increasing nutrient delivery to muscles thereby reducing the depletion of glycogen stores.
  • ● Reducing heart rate and reducing core temperature during workload. Increase muscle hypertrophy by preventing protein degradation through the following three means:
  • ● Induction of heat shock proteins and a hormetic response (which has also been shown to increase longevity in lower organisms).
  • ● Cause a massive release of growth hormone.
  • ● Improving insulin sensitivity.
***NOTE*** It also accomplishes this arguably without the same risk that might otherwise be associated with exogenous or supraphysiological levels of other hormones, like growth hormone.

Hyperthermic conditioning also has robust positive effects on the brain:

  • ● Increases the storage and release of norepinephrine, which improves attention and focus.
  • ● Increases prolactin, which causes your brain to function faster by enhancing myelination and helps to repair damaged neurons.
  • ● Increases BDNF, which causes the growth of new brain cells, improves the ability for you to learn new information and retain it, and ameliorates certain types of depression and anxiety.
  • ● Causes a robust increase in dynorphin, which results in your body becoming more sensitive to the ensuing endorphins.

saunas also devastate sperm count though... I feel like anything that does that is a bit dicey. the benefits are undeniable though. I've done sauna before tho but the sperm effects make me steer clear now plus it takes up time.
 

TubZy

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saunas also devastate sperm count though... I feel like anything that does that is a bit dicey. the benefits are undeniable though. I've done sauna before tho but the sperm effects make me steer clear now plus it takes up time.

No hormones weren't affected even 1 hour twice a day for 7 days straight, which is long ass time. The fertility aspect isn't always accurate (see below). I doubt it is that significant unless you are trying to get a girl pregnant- maybe could be something to consider I guess.

Endocrine effects of repeated sauna bathing. - PubMed - NCBI

What study are you talking about in terms of temporarily lowering sperm count? I found this, but the study seems pretty unreliable (just 10 people with no baseline male fertility assessment) regarding sperm count at least for now.

Sauna Visits May Lower Sperm Count

"However, the new study did not assess the men's fertility, so it's impossible to know whether their fertility was lower during the period they took saunas. A man's sperm count does not always correspond to his fertility, Kramer said."

"However, Kramer said the study doesn't provide enough evidence to say that healthy men shouldn't visit the sauna. The study was small, with just 10 people, so more research is needed to confirm the results."

"Additional studies are also needed to look at the effects of sauna exposure on men whose fertility is already impaired, or on boys who haven't yet gone through puberty, Foresta said."
 

jacknap

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No hormones weren't affected even 1 hour twice a day for 7 days straight, which is long ass time. The fertility aspect isn't always accurate (see below). I doubt it is that significant unless you are trying to get a girl pregnant- maybe could be something to consider I guess.

Endocrine effects of repeated sauna bathing. - PubMed - NCBI

What study are you talking about in terms of temporarily lowering sperm count? I found this, but the study seems pretty unreliable (just 10 people with no baseline male fertility assessment) regarding sperm count at least for now.

Sauna Visits May Lower Sperm Count

"However, the new study did not assess the men's fertility, so it's impossible to know whether their fertility was lower during the period they took saunas. A man's sperm count does not always correspond to his fertility, Kramer said."

"However, Kramer said the study doesn't provide enough evidence to say that healthy men shouldn't visit the sauna. The study was small, with just 10 people, so more research is needed to confirm the results."

"Additional studies are also needed to look at the effects of sauna exposure on men whose fertility is already impaired, or on boys who haven't yet gone through puberty, Foresta said."

yes the finish one. I know small sample size of 10 but these were young men and losing half sperm and taking 6 months to recover post ceasing I'd imagine also has other downstream effects. the testes like to be cold.
 

Niles

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yes the finish one. I know small sample size of 10 but these were young men and losing half sperm and taking 6 months to recover post ceasing I'd imagine also has other downstream effects. the testes like to be cold.
I think this is generally true, but I see so much conflicting info out there. Some studies say warm baths are good, because they improve genital circulation, others say warm baths are bad, because they lower sperm count; some studies say to sun your balls, while others say to chill them. I guess your best bet is to just do whatever in moderation and closely monitor your reaction.
 

TubZy

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yes the finish one. I know small sample size of 10 but these were young men and losing half sperm and taking 6 months to recover post ceasing I'd imagine also has other downstream effects. the testes like to be cold.

What other downstream effects? Hormones weren't affected, I'd imagine if the testes were under too much stress LH, T etc. would decrease, which doesn't seem to be the case unless you are referring to something else?

I'm still not 100% convinced yet and the info is very conflicting (and the quote below makes it even less credible, i.e. lowered sperm does not always mean impaired fertility). Pretty much everything can influence sperm count these days including keep your cell phone in your pocket to standing next to the microwave, wearing too tight boxers/briefs and swimming in a chlorinated pool so I doubt it's much of a concern at this point unless you have been trying over and over to have a kid (or you notice your sperm is watery).

"However, the new study did not assess the men's fertility, so it's impossible to know whether their fertility was lower during the period they took saunas. A man's sperm count does not always correspond to his fertility, Kramer said."
 
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