YSK that using a sauna has proven health benefits such as improved cardiovascular health, endurance, increased production of human growth hormone, and much more. These studies are documented in a well-written article by Dr. Rhonda Patrick below. Everyone should know this stuff!
Below are a couple of stats I found interesting from the article!
"a 30-minute sauna session two times a week for three weeks post-workout increased the time that it took for study participants to run until exhaustion by 32% compared to baseline."
"For example, two 20-minute sauna sessions at 80°C (176°F) separated by a 30-minute cooling period elevated growth hormone levels two-fold over baseline. Whereas, two 15-minute sauna sessions at 100°C (212°F) dry heat separated by a 30-minute cooling period resulted in a five-fold increase in growth hormone. However, what’s perhaps more amazing is that repeated exposure to whole-body hyperthermia through sauna use has an even more profound effect on boosting growth hormone immediately afterward: two one-hour sauna sessions a day at 80°C (176°F) dry heat (okay, this is a bit extreme) for 7 days was shown to increase growth hormone by 16-fold on the third day.14 The growth hormone effects generally persist for a couple of hours post-sauna.1 It is also noteworthy, however, is that sauna use and exercise can synergize to significantly elevate growth hormone when used in conjunction with each other."
