Does a Sauna Benefit You or Improve Fat Loss?

Does a Sauna Benefit You or Improve Fat Loss? - Thomas DeLauer

I'm about to totally wow you with the science of how sitting in a sauna for just a short amount of time after a workout or in general can totally shift the way that your body metabolizes energy and shift the way that your body built muscle and burns fat.

When we're looking at how a sauna affects the body, we're looking at something known as hyperthermic conditioning. Hyperthermic conditioning is just like the name implies. We're conditioning ourselves to be a little bit more exposed to a higher temperature. With hyperthermic conditioning, we're acclimating our bodies to heat independent of aerobic activity. Normally if you go out for a run or you do some kind of aerobic exercise, your core body temperature is going to go up, simply because you're moving. With hyperthermic conditioning, we're trying to elicit the same response, but without the actual activity. We're just trying to get the core body temperature up and still trying to get the same benefits, and now, the science is showing the benefits are there.

Basically what we're doing is we're trying to build a generalized tolerance to physiological stress by adapting to heat. Just like anything, we have an adaptation process that occurs, and when we expose ourselves to a lot of heat, we do have this adaptation that occurs at a cellular level and different metabolic levels.

Now the biggest one that we probably know of already is the increase in blood flow and plasma volume. This one kinda goes without saying. When you have more heat, your blood vessels dilate, you get more blood flow, yeah, that's all fine and dandy, but there's a lot of really cool stuff coming out in the way of what are called heat shock proteins. Now the studies that I'm gonna reference in this video, and believe me, there's quite a few of them, are going to really be centered around heat shock proteins and what these heat shock proteins do for not only your recovery, but your overall metabolism.

A heat shock protein is a highly conserved protein that sits inside of a cell. Every single organism has them and every single cell has heat shock proteins. They're proteins that sit in a reserve mode, waiting to get acted upon by high stress, for instance, high heat. That's why they're called heat shock proteins. When our cells are exposed to heat shock, these proteins are released, and they protect what are called the folding and unfolding of these different proteins inside of a cell. Inside of a cell, when you build a cell, you have proteins that fold on top of each other. Now sometimes they unfold, sometimes they fold, so these heat shock proteins stabilize them. They hold them in place so that they have a little bit more time to recover when exposed to extreme conditions like high heat.

References

[markbalogh]

I've been preaching this for years. no one listened. You will recover so much faster. Your cardio will improve. And the best part your mood will be boosted. It completely kills my anxiety and depression. Highly recommend for those with mood swings.

[arymniak]

Invested in a home sauna 20 years ago, I've had to replace/upgrade the electronics a couple of times but it was well worth it, the health benefits are tremendous. One of the best investments I've ever made.

[MajorasThoughts]

Before Covid, I would work-out one day, then sit in the sauna for 30 minutes the next day. I would alternate like that. And good lord I felt like a million bucks for months. I just found out yesterday that they recently opened up the sauna at my gym again. Probably the best news I'll hear in all of 2021 haha. Wishing good health to everybody who read this. Move with a purpose!

[TwlghTT]

Adaptation to heat and cold makes you so much stronger and antifragile!

[centpushups]

Living in Arizona all I need to do is just walk outside with a sweater on.

[chevyman]

I’ve been watching you and dr Berg for the past 2 years. I’ve done baby steps in getting rid of my bad habits. But for the past 6 weeks I’ve truly been incorporating your advice and I have never felt better. 5 inches off the belly 15 pounds lost. You have changed my life thankyou. I’m going to keep it up! I’ll get back to you in 6 months!

[ABC]

I fast for 18-20 hours, drink 5/6L of water a day..train fasted and then after weights cardio in the steam room around 10/15, and i can tell you I've never burnt so much fat easily and also felt so healthy in my life.. mainly thanks to IF . Ok I cant lift as much.. but my body and head feels the best it ever has

[Flowmada]

I'm military and base saunas are always filled with old dudes. But they're pretty buff old dudes. Now I know why

[ssmith]

10 minutes in the sauna before workouts and 15 minutes in the sauna after workouts. 💪🏼👊🏼

[CyberEditing]

I've noticed a fluid mass loss of (on average) 1kg measured before and after a cumulative steam room session [post weight training]of up to 1.5 hours. This gets replaced each day.... but there is a gradual body mass loss over a mass loss is measurable down to 100g per 10 minutes of steam room time.

[lupa]

I just joined a new gym AND it has a sauna! That was one of the reasons I joined!

[ismaelyoblonski]

Dr Rhonda Patrick also has alot of information on this topic. Great video.

[EnzSebastian]

Is this why weight training in an old gym without air conditioning "feels" like a better or more productive workout?

[CyberEditing]

FYI 10 minutes of steam room time = 100g mass loss. Those are the results I've seen over the last 2 months of daily testing.

[PhilipMcAdam]

I have heard good stories about the saunas that I regularly take. But thank you for breaking it down for us.

[spaghelle]

Wow you seriously read my mind today! I’m a fitness instructor (teach Body attack, HIIT, and spin classes) and I practice Bikram yoga 2 times a week. Occasionally I wear a heart rate monitor in Bikram and I’m confused because it never measures a high heart rate OR that I have an overall high calorie burn even though it exhausts me, my performance in other activities has excelled and I can see a huge body composition change from practicing regularly the last few years. I was just telling my husband before I saw this that I wish there was some science to help explain why the calorie burn doesn’t match up with the results I see as an athlete practicing in 108 degree temps. Then I saw you posted this! Can’t wait to share this with my studio. Thanks for the good info!

[margogetfit]

That is awesome to know I have a portable sauna at home that I will use more often

[ashleymite]

I love going in the sauna. Pre and/or post workout.

[stewart]

I'm going to get in my infrared sauna today to detox and other benefits. Thanks for reminding me!

[kellon.o.g]

i have the last 2 years allmost everyday 30-45 min sauna after my workouts, so this is good news to keep that good habit on i guess, and it feels so nice and relaxing after the workout