Also known as: sauna bathing, heat therapy, infrared sauna, sauna
Latest evidence update: 2026-03-01
Strongest in Recency (87). Held back by Sample size (42).
Solid mix of RCTs with some methodological gaps.
Good cross-study replication, some imprecision.
Hundreds of participants; meaningful but not large.
Mostly aligned, with some divergence.
Most studies are recent (last 2-3 years).
Areas where research points to a consistent direction of effect. The strength of evidence is graded; the size of the effect is not quantified.
Regular sauna use (80-100°C, 15-20 min) is associated with reduced cardiovascular mortality and heat shock protein activation.
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Higher weekly treatment frequency of heat therapy was a significant moderator of better grip strength recovery (p = 0.04).
Heat therapy is effective for reducing delayed-onset muscle soreness pain at 24, 48, and 72 hours post-exercise.
Hot spring and sauna use showed no significant blood lipid changes in older adults with mean age 60 years or greater.
Combined heat therapy and moderate-intensity exercise training for 8 weeks improves brachial artery endothelial function and lower limb arterial stiffness in young, healthy recreationally active adults.
Combined heat therapy and exercise reduced carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity by 0.33 m·s⁻¹ after 8 weeks within group.