Dry sauna use is the centuries-old practice of exposing your body to elevated temperatures in a confined area for a short period of time. This practice has continued to gain popularity in the past century. While sauna use provides plenty of anecdotal benefits such as relaxation and comfort, there are also other benefits that are supported by recent research.
Common Cold
To date, there has been no cure for the common cold. However, dry sauna use can help. In the 1990 Annual Medicine journal, researchers Ernst, Peco, Wirz and Saradeth conducted a study on the effects of regular dry sauna bathing on the incidence of the common cold. Their findings indicated that regular sauna bathing helped to reduce the frequency of contracting the common cold.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome mimics the common cold with symptoms such as fever, headaches and joint pain. Treatment for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome involves various traditional treatments such as medications and drugs. Dry sauna use has also been shown to be an effective treatment. In the Journal of Psychosomatic Research, authors Masuda, Kihara, Fukudome, Shinsaso, Minagoe and Tei studied the effects of dry sauna use in subjects. Results of the study indicated that dry sauna use once a day for 35 sessions reduced the symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
Athletic Performance
Another health benefit of dry sauna use is increase in sports performance. In the August 2007 Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, researchers Scoon, Hopkins, Mayhew and Cotter studies the effects of post-exercise dry sauna bathing in relation to endurance performance of male runners. The results of the study indicated that male runners who completed three weeks of post-exercise sauna bathing increased their endurance. The researcher believed that dry sauna bathing contributed to increased blood volume, which increases the amount of oxygen available for endurance-based exercises.
