"Sauna Benefits Deep Dive and Optimal Use with Dr. Rhonda Patrick"
In this video, Dr. Patrick discusses the research behind the traditional sauna, the benefits of regular sauna use, how long to use it and how many days per week are needed to provide health benefits.
Some of the benefits of sauna use from studies out of Finland finding associations for health include:
o Lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease
o Lower stroke risk by 40% with minimum of 4 times a week sauna use
Her research has shown many dose dependent positive impacts with a minimum of 4 times a week use of the sauna including:
Decreasing risk for dementia with a 66% reduction in alzheimers disease
46% lower risk for hypertension
Other benefits include the following:
Mimics moderate aerobic cardiovascular exercise
Time set aside for meditation/ prayer/ reflection
Elevated heart rate and core body temperature, leading to sweating to allow detoxification of the body
Long term use improved fasting blood glucose.
Provides a beneficial type of stress that the body can learn to adapt to.
This is the concept of hormesis. This means the body needs to have exposure to harmful substances in small amounts in order to gain health effects by adapting.
Post sauna use shows:
Lower blood pressure and lower resting heart rate
Better adaption to heat
Antidepressant effect up to 6 weeks post one sauna session
The hypothesis is that it increases the sensitivity of the receptors in the brain that receive chemicals like endorphins that make you feel good.
Sweat at a lower core body temperature and to help you cool down.
Activates heat shock proteins (stress response proteins).
These help prevent proteins in the body from becoming disorganized and unstructured formations like plaques in the brain.
Helps prevent against neurodegenerative disease.
Actually help you respond to stress in life better.
Elevated levels stay active for about 48 hours.
The recommended protocol:
4-7 days a week in traditional sauna (4 seems to be the sweet spot for frequency)
20 minutes at 174 degrees F in traditional sauna.
*NOTE: this research supports traditional sauna use and did not extrapolate to infrared sauna use. However, Dr Patrick mentioned that more studies are being done for the benefits of infrared and there are no known adverse effects of infrared at this time. Some studies out of Japan are looking at 140 degrees F for 15-20 minutes followed by wrapping the body in a hot towel for 15-30 minutes.
Hot bath instead
If you do not have access to a sauna, there are some benefits to a hot bath. These include increased brain derived neurotropic factors, proteins that are beneficial to the human nervous system and can support growth of new neurons. Heat shock proteins also increase with a hot bath (104 degrees F). It is recommended that shoulders be submerged for the full body heating effect.
Contraindications
Contraindications to traditional sauna use include the following:
Unstable or severe stenosis of the arteries
Alcohol use prior to sauna use
Pregnancy
Children
Dr. Patrick's article highlights the following points:
Sauna use mimics physiological and protective responses induced during exercise.
Repeated sauna use optimizes stress responses via hormesis and heat shock proteins.
Sauna use appears to reduce morbidity and mortality in a dose-dependent manner.
Frequent sauna use may protect against cardiovascular and neurodegenerative disease.
Sauna use provides a means of preserving muscle mass and countering sarcopenia.
If you are interested in starting regular use of a sauna, consult with your physician prior in order to consider your specific health situation so you can safely gain the potential health benefits.
Resources:
“Sauna Benefits Deep Dive and Optimal Use with Dr. Rhonda Patrick & Medcram.” YouTube, YouTube, 10 Apr. 2022, www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWkv9ad7zvc.
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