Frequent sauna sessions have significantly improved general flexibility, decreased discomfort, and helped in muscle recovery following workouts, all of which have improved strength and muscular growth. Saunas are a great supplement to any exercise routine for several reasons, such as improved fitness and relief from pain. They help in the development of muscles.

Saunas are believed to speed up muscle recovery, which makes it possible to train more frequently and gain more muscle.  20-minute dry room treatments twice a week after a workout can significantly raise human growth hormone (hGH) levels by around 150%, lower insulin levels by 30%, and lower cortisol levels by 25%. These physiological advantages make it easier to gradually increase muscle mass.

Do saunas help build muscle?

Steamroom use by itself won’t increase your muscle mass percentage. However, if you incorporate it into your training schedule, the results will be far better. Saunas promote faster muscle recovery, growth hormones, and lower cortisol levels—all of which contribute to the development of muscle.

After participating in two weekly 20-minute infrared sessions, growth hormone and prolactin levels increased by 100% in men and 400% in women. Occasional infrared room use in your post-workout routine might increase your running pace by 4% on average. Drugs known as muscle relaxers are intended to reduce pain, tension, and cramps in the muscles.

Advantages of using a sauna to build muscles

There are several advantages to muscle building, including:

• Enhanced Muscle Recovery: By improving blood circulation to the muscles, steam room sessions may accelerate the process of muscle recovery by removing waste products from the metabolism and supplying necessary nutrients for development and repair.
• Increased Growth Hormone Synthesis: Dry room use increases the synthesis of growth hormones, which are essential for the development and maintenance of muscles. Increased growth hormone levels may help with better muscular growth and recuperation.
• Decreased Cortisol Levels: Cortisol is a stress hormone that can have destructive effects on the tissue of muscles. Using a dry room can lower cortisol levels. Reduced cortisol levels can stop excessive muscle breakdown and create a more ideal environment for muscular development.
• Enhanced Cardiovascular Health: The sauna’s workout can enhance the circulatory system. Improved cardiovascular health can enhance total exercise capacity, allowing for stronger and more successful muscle-building sessions.
• Stress Reduction: The sweat room offers a peaceful environment that can aid in reducing stress and boosting mental health. Reducing stress can enhance hormonal balance and improve rehabilitation, which in turn can indirectly assist the growth of muscles.
• Improved Endurance: Consistent infrared room usage has been linked to increases in endurance capacity, which can help with muscle growth by permitting longer and more strenuous training sessions.

Disadvantages of using a sauna to build muscles

There are several disadvantages to muscle building, including:

• Dehydration: Sauna use can cause substantial fluid loss through perspiration if proper hydration is not maintained, which can lead to dehydration. Dehydration can affect how effectively muscles work and recover, which could make it more difficult to gain muscle.
• Electrolyte imbalance: Sweating excessively in a steam room can lead to the loss of electrolytes including magnesium, potassium, and salt. An imbalance in electrolytes can hurt performance in general, energy generation, and muscular contractions.
• Temporary Performance Reduction: Dehydration and an increase in core body temperature might temporarily reduce exercise performance when dry room use is done right before a workout. This may damage attempts to gain muscle by affecting strength, endurance, and total workout intensity.
• Potential Heat Stress: Continuous exposure to high steam temperatures can result in heat stress, particularly in people who are heat-sensitive or have specific medical problems. Fatigue, fainting, sickness, and other symptoms brought on by heat stress might hinder workout efficiency and muscle repair.
• Danger of Overuse: Sweat lodge use can help with muscle rehabilitation, but more use can cause burnout or overtraining. 
• Skin Irritation: Long-term exposure to the sauna’s high temperatures and humidity levels may cause allergic reactions or sensitivity in certain people. This may be uncomfortable and prevent you from using the steam room to repair your muscles.

Saunas are good after lifting weights

Dry room sessions should ideally come after weightlifting exercises because that’s when your body starts to naturally restore itself. Taking advantage of the increased blood flow and growth hormone release following weightlifting. Sweat room use improves muscle recovery by encouraging tissue repair and development. 

Use a dry room right after lifting weights since it may instantly reduce stress and relax muscles, which may raise the risk of damage during further training. Your muscles are warmed up and more responsive after doing weights, so the advantages of the sweat lodge—like increased blood circulation and hormone release—are especially helpful for healing.

The sauna is as good as exercise

Saunas produce perspiration rates that are equivalent to or even higher than those of afternoon runs. Although the steam room can help with detoxification, reduce heart rate at rest, and speed up the repair of muscles, it is unable to replace the advantages of exercise. The dry room does not promote the active use of muscles that are necessary for muscular development and endurance enhancement.

It’s important to realize that working out and using a dry room are complementary activities rather than mutually exclusive. One cannot completely replace the other. Exercise and steam room visits work best for physical health when they are combined harmoniously, improving fitness and general well-being.

Use the Sauna to Increase Exercise Efficiency

Research that was published in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport found that female athletes who used dry sessions five days a week for 20 minutes each day were able to exercise more efficiently than the control group. The results indicate that consistency is more important than time when using a dry room. 

While some athletes choose to use the dry heat for post-exercise relaxation, others use it to warm up their muscles before a workout. Adding infrared sessions to rest days might also be advantageous because the body can repair and recuperate in as little as 20 minutes in this setting.

Sauna After a Workout for Recovery Sessions

Exercise can cause chemicals like lactic acid to build up in your muscles, which can cause pain and tension. While it’s inaccurate to say that you sweat away toxins, there are certain things you can do to help your body get rid of them more quickly. Stretching, drinking lots of water, and utilizing a steam room help speed up this process. The heat from the steam room encourages your body to mobilize certain molecules and improves blood flow to vital organs such as the kidneys, liver, and colon. 

Applying dry heat strategically after exercise can help stop the formation of these chemicals before they lead to discomfort in the muscles. This precautionary measure can increase flexibility and lessen the typical soreness seen in the days after exercise. You may get the most out of your next workout and feel more relaxed all day long by promoting a faster recovery.

Conclusion

In conclusion, when properly included in an exercise regimen, saunas can help promote attempts to grow muscle. Using an infrared sauna after working out can help muscles heal by boosting blood flow, releasing growth hormones, and lowering cortisol levels. Saunas can’t specifically increase muscle mass, but they can speed up recovery, which can lead to better training results and more consistency. 

For best effects, steam room use must be moderated and combined with other recuperation techniques. Combining exercise with sauna sessions can offer a complete strategy for fostering muscular growth, improving general fitness, and boosting long-term physical well-being.

Read also: Add Sauna to MyFitnessPal (Tracking Burned Calories)

FAQs

The most frequently asked questions are given below:

Are saunas good for muscle growth?

Heat shock proteins’ primary purpose is to facilitate the body’s healing process. Muscle repair is one particular facet of this healing process. Sauna usage has been proven in studies to enhance muscle regeneration by 30 percent. This has a significant impact on hypertrophy, recuperation, and the prevention of age-related atrophy.

Should I use the sauna if I’m bulking?

Saunas not only aid with weight loss but also in muscle building. Saunas are often thought of as a soothing way to wrap off an exercise, but they may also help you get the most out of it.

What temperature should a sauna be at for muscle growth?

Experts like Andrew Huberman feel that for the greatest advantages, the ideal temperature for a sauna is over 175 degrees Fahrenheit, although this depends on the individual and their unique demands.

See also: Saunas for testosterone-boosting