Saunas & Cold Plunges: What does the science say?

By Ryan Humphries:
​Co-Founder Axistence Athletics

Why is it that every instagram influencer seems to be pushing ice baths and saunas??

Sure, they look cool, but what are the real benefits of these two things? What does the science say?

Although you could nerd out on the decades worth of research on both of these, we thought we’d sum it up in a few bullet points.

*Side note, if any of these claims seem too good to be true, you can find the studies in peer reviewed journals linked below .

---

Benefits of Sauna:

• Increase in growth hormone (one study even found a 5x increase in growth hormone!)
  • What does growth hormone do in your body?
    • ​Faster recovery from injuries
    • Improves sleep quality
    • Enhances metabolism (fat loss)
    • Increases muscle growth
• Increase in endurance
  • The sauna for all intents and purposes is cardiorespiratory training.
    • For those unable to perform cardio due to injury or just those who are looking to spend more time in their Zone 2 aerobic heart rate zone, the sauna will get you there.
• ​Longevity
  • ​​There is a direct correlation between how often someone uses a sauna and their decreased risk of not only cardiovascular issues, but all-cause mortality. 
    • This may be due to the growth hormone increase, the effects that mimic the heart rate during “cardio” exercise, or perhaps the release of heat-shock proteins.

Cold Plunge Benefits:

• Increase in dopamine.
  
  • 11 minutes per week exposed to cold water can double the body’s dopamine production. The implications here are massive, considering that low dopamine levels are associated with the following:
    • ​Anxiety
      
    • Depression
      
    • ADHD
      
    • Low sex drive
      

• Decreases chronic inflammation.
  
  • Sometimes a pain is just a pain…and sometimes it’s a chronically inflamed area. Cold therapy has been shown to decrease acute and chronic inflammation.
    
• Makes you tougher*
  
  • ​Ok, this is one that I sort of made up....but seriously, if you can handle getting into a tub of water filled with ice, I believe it makes you much more capable of handling hard things.
    

Does this mean that you need to go out and buy a sauna and a cold plunge? Well, that depends on your goals. Our job is to share information, answer questions, and provide the best service possible.

If we've piqued your interest and you're looking to experiment with either of these methods, check the Axistence schedule for our “Fire & Ice” speciality workshops. The next one is coming up on Saturday, April 6th at 10:30am. To ensure an optimal experience, space is limited. 

To sign up, click HERE.

Cheers to better living through science!

The A-Team

For the nerds 🙂

How the sauna affects the endocrine system: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3218898/ 

Clinical Effects of Regular Dry Sauna Bathing: A Systematic Review: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5941775/ 

Sauna use linked to longer life, fewer fatal heart problems: https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/sauna-use-linked-longer-life-fewer-fatal-heart-problems-201502257755 

Association between sauna bathing and fatal cardiovascular and all-cause mortality events: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25705824/ 

Short-Term Head-Out Whole-Body Cold-Water Immersion Facilitates Positive Affect and Increases Interaction between Large-Scale Brain Network: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5941775/ 

Health effects of voluntary exposure to cold water – a continuing subject of debate: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9518606/ 

Human physiological responses to immersion into water of different temperatures: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10751106/