Daily Home Sauna Bathing and Healthspan
At our practice, we promote a strategy that supports the concept of healthspan–essentially, the period of one's life spent in good health, unhampered by chronic illnesses and/or disabilities. It is undeniable that our bodies change as we age and acceptance of some decline in stamina, strength, speed, and mental acuity is essential to our happiness. But what we do, how we choose to eat, work, and live can speed up, slow down, or in some cases, reverse aspects of health decline.
Creating a sustainable exercise routine that includes elements of speed, endurance, strength, and flexibility straining; taking a handful of supplements that have scientific grounding for making a difference in healthspan such as nicotinamide riboside (NR), resveratrol, and n-acetyl cysteine (NAC); and eating a modified Mediterranean-style diet rich in fiber and healthy fats that helps promote and maintain stable blood sugar, low central body fat, and a robustly diversified gut microbiome each plays a role in extending both lifespan and healthspan.
So does stimulating the production of hormones like sirtuins and heat shock proteins which are released when we substantially raise (or lower) our core body temperatures for sustained periods of time, such as during prolonged exercise, cold plunges, hot baths, and saunas. It was my wife, Tricia, who brought my attention to Higher Dose sauna blankets. Over the last decade, I had been reading a growing body of astonishing reports in the medical literature about the health benefits of sauna bathing (see below) with regard to lowering the risks for cardiovascular disease and dementia. I found it more than just intriguing, I wanted to find a way of introducing it into my own lifestyle. But I did not have easy access to a clean and safe sauna–especially with the advent of the pandemic. Now, our sauna blankets have given us the ability to suana bathe in our own home and the effects on mood, mental clarity, and our general sense of well-being have been as noticeable as with exercise, meditation, and healthy diet.
Creating a sustainable exercise routine that includes elements of speed, endurance, strength, and flexibility straining; taking a handful of supplements that have scientific grounding for making a difference in healthspan such as nicotinamide riboside (NR), resveratrol, and n-acetyl cysteine (NAC); and eating a modified Mediterranean-style diet rich in fiber and healthy fats that helps promote and maintain stable blood sugar, low central body fat, and a robustly diversified gut microbiome each plays a role in extending both lifespan and healthspan.
So does stimulating the production of hormones like sirtuins and heat shock proteins which are released when we substantially raise (or lower) our core body temperatures for sustained periods of time, such as during prolonged exercise, cold plunges, hot baths, and saunas. It was my wife, Tricia, who brought my attention to Higher Dose sauna blankets. Over the last decade, I had been reading a growing body of astonishing reports in the medical literature about the health benefits of sauna bathing (see below) with regard to lowering the risks for cardiovascular disease and dementia. I found it more than just intriguing, I wanted to find a way of introducing it into my own lifestyle. But I did not have easy access to a clean and safe sauna–especially with the advent of the pandemic. Now, our sauna blankets have given us the ability to suana bathe in our own home and the effects on mood, mental clarity, and our general sense of well-being have been as noticeable as with exercise, meditation, and healthy diet.
The Science of Sauna
A big advance in the field of anti-aging came in 2015 with a landmark study from Finland published in JAMA, showing that men who used sauna 2–3 times per week had a 27% lower risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality compared to those who only used the sauna once weekly, while men who used the sauna 4–7 times per week had a 50% lower risk of CVD mortality (compared to those who did it only once/week). Even more impressive was that the risk of all-cause mortality was 40% lower among frequent sauna users compared to infrequent users. Can you imagine a medicine that has no side effects, improves your mood, energy, and sleep quality, and reduces your risk of dying from any cause by 40%? Such a drug would undeniably be seen as a miracle of modern medicine–the fountain of youth.
The use of saunas to extend healthspan and lifespan has been the subject of a considerable body of research. From the Finnish study, we learned that men who sauna-bathed 4–7 times per week had a 66% lower risk of developing dementia including Alzheimer's disease compared to those who sauna-bathed only once per week. In Japan, Waon therapy, which involves 15 to 30-minutes of infrared sauna heated to approximately 140 degrees (this is how the Higher Dose sauna blankets work) followed by a 30-minute session of lying flat on the back outside the sauna, covered in warm blankets, has been associated with improvements in congestive heart failure and peripheral artery disease. The practice of raising core body temperature has been shown to improve depression, heal chronic ulcers and other wounds, improve chronic widespread body pain such as that seen in fibromyalgia, and improve outcomes for cancers. And these studies form just the tip of the potential healthspan enhancing iceberg with regard to sauna bathing.
The use of saunas to extend healthspan and lifespan has been the subject of a considerable body of research. From the Finnish study, we learned that men who sauna-bathed 4–7 times per week had a 66% lower risk of developing dementia including Alzheimer's disease compared to those who sauna-bathed only once per week. In Japan, Waon therapy, which involves 15 to 30-minutes of infrared sauna heated to approximately 140 degrees (this is how the Higher Dose sauna blankets work) followed by a 30-minute session of lying flat on the back outside the sauna, covered in warm blankets, has been associated with improvements in congestive heart failure and peripheral artery disease. The practice of raising core body temperature has been shown to improve depression, heal chronic ulcers and other wounds, improve chronic widespread body pain such as that seen in fibromyalgia, and improve outcomes for cancers. And these studies form just the tip of the potential healthspan enhancing iceberg with regard to sauna bathing.
A Little More Detail: The Concept of Hormesis
How does it work? Prolonged exposure to high heat has immediate physiological effects including increasing cardiac output (the amount of blood the heart pumps to the body), enabling better oxygenation and nutrition of body tissues, as well as high volume sweating which has been shown to improve excretion of toxic heavy metals including aluminum (3.75-fold), cadmium (25-fold), cobalt (7-fold), and lead (17-fold) compared to elimination of these metals through the urine.
Repeated exposure to high heat such as regular sauna bathing induces a physiological process known as hormeses–the strengthening of the body in response to stressors. Hormesis helps our bodies acclimate to hostile conditions. Regular cardiovascular and strength training exercise promote hormesis. So do fasting, cryotherapy (prolonged exposure to extreme cold), and sauna bathing. These hormetic practices trigger a vast array of protective mechanisms that not only repair cell damage but also provide protection from subsequent exposures to more intense stressors.
Heat stress from sauna bathing induces the production and expression of special reparative proteins called heat shock proteins (HSPs). HSPs help to repair old and damaged proteins associated with aging and chronic diseases and have been shown to slow down neurodegenerative diseases and even the aging process itself. They have been shown to reduce muscle atrophy during periods of immobilization and improve the function of mitochondria (the energy centers of human cells). Part of the process of aging and chronic diseases involves the unfolding and stiffening of proteins which impairs their effectiveness at performing their normal functions. Proteins must be supple enough to turn and fold in order to bind to things like cell receptors to induce biochemical activities required for cellular health. HSPs help repair or re-synthesize damaged ones.
Heat stress robustly increases intracellular levels of HSP in humans with studies showing that just 30 minutes of sauna bathing can raise HSP levels 49%. Just six days of heat therapy has been shown to increase ambient levels of HSP in men by 45% and in women by 38%, respectively, and dramatically improve their mitochondrial function. And HSPs are associated with human longevity. A population-based association study from Denmark showed that those who had a genetic variance that led to higher production of HSP lived, on average, a year longer than those who did not have that genetic variance.
For those of you who have been following my work for years, you know my belief that in the biggest picture, aging and chronic diseases are mediated by progressively escalating levels of chronic inflammation and progressively diminishing circulation. Tissue aging is marked by stiffening of arterial walls in the context of diminishing secretion of vasodilators (agents–including naturally occurring enzymes and hormones–that cause blood vessels to open in order to promote better blood flow) and increasing secretion of vasoconstrictors (substances that constrict blood vessels to inhibit the flow of blood). Just two weeks of sauna therapy in patients with congestive heart failure has been shown to improve endothelial (blood vessel) and cardiac function, in part through increasing vasodilation and reducing vasoconstriction.
Since heat stress robustly activates the production of HSP after just 30 minutes, I think it is fair to say that sauna bathing is one of the most healthspan and lifespan-inducing behaviors we can engage in. What's more, basal HSP concentrations are higher in heat-acclimated individuals, suggesting that regular sauna bathing not only acclimates us to temperature changes, it induces whole-body adaptations that improves circulation, clears out old senescent proteins and cells, improves mitochondrial and protein function, reduces inflammation, and extends life. I recommend between 30 - 50 minutes of sauna bathing 5-6 times per week.
Repeated exposure to high heat such as regular sauna bathing induces a physiological process known as hormeses–the strengthening of the body in response to stressors. Hormesis helps our bodies acclimate to hostile conditions. Regular cardiovascular and strength training exercise promote hormesis. So do fasting, cryotherapy (prolonged exposure to extreme cold), and sauna bathing. These hormetic practices trigger a vast array of protective mechanisms that not only repair cell damage but also provide protection from subsequent exposures to more intense stressors.
Heat stress from sauna bathing induces the production and expression of special reparative proteins called heat shock proteins (HSPs). HSPs help to repair old and damaged proteins associated with aging and chronic diseases and have been shown to slow down neurodegenerative diseases and even the aging process itself. They have been shown to reduce muscle atrophy during periods of immobilization and improve the function of mitochondria (the energy centers of human cells). Part of the process of aging and chronic diseases involves the unfolding and stiffening of proteins which impairs their effectiveness at performing their normal functions. Proteins must be supple enough to turn and fold in order to bind to things like cell receptors to induce biochemical activities required for cellular health. HSPs help repair or re-synthesize damaged ones.
Heat stress robustly increases intracellular levels of HSP in humans with studies showing that just 30 minutes of sauna bathing can raise HSP levels 49%. Just six days of heat therapy has been shown to increase ambient levels of HSP in men by 45% and in women by 38%, respectively, and dramatically improve their mitochondrial function. And HSPs are associated with human longevity. A population-based association study from Denmark showed that those who had a genetic variance that led to higher production of HSP lived, on average, a year longer than those who did not have that genetic variance.
For those of you who have been following my work for years, you know my belief that in the biggest picture, aging and chronic diseases are mediated by progressively escalating levels of chronic inflammation and progressively diminishing circulation. Tissue aging is marked by stiffening of arterial walls in the context of diminishing secretion of vasodilators (agents–including naturally occurring enzymes and hormones–that cause blood vessels to open in order to promote better blood flow) and increasing secretion of vasoconstrictors (substances that constrict blood vessels to inhibit the flow of blood). Just two weeks of sauna therapy in patients with congestive heart failure has been shown to improve endothelial (blood vessel) and cardiac function, in part through increasing vasodilation and reducing vasoconstriction.
Since heat stress robustly activates the production of HSP after just 30 minutes, I think it is fair to say that sauna bathing is one of the most healthspan and lifespan-inducing behaviors we can engage in. What's more, basal HSP concentrations are higher in heat-acclimated individuals, suggesting that regular sauna bathing not only acclimates us to temperature changes, it induces whole-body adaptations that improves circulation, clears out old senescent proteins and cells, improves mitochondrial and protein function, reduces inflammation, and extends life. I recommend between 30 - 50 minutes of sauna bathing 5-6 times per week.
Why I Chose the Higher Dose Sauna Blanket
Tricia was the one who discovered the Higher Dose infrared sauna blanket. There were about 2K user reviews (nearly all 5 stars) when we purchased ours. They are made with natural, non-toxic fabrics and Higher Dose uses non-dangerous far-spectrum infrared as its heating source. There's a good warranty and those of you who follow my work know that I am a fan of durable equipment that one can use at home day after day, without the added burden of commuting or recurring class or membership fees. I like equipment that doesn't take up a big footprint in the home; Higher Dose sauna blankets can be stored flat under a bed or rolled up like a yoga mat. And I like to be efficient since I don't have a lot of free time on my hands. My gym has communal sauna, but the COVID-19 pandemic has made sitting unmasked in a room of strangers far too risky. And even if that were not the case, the time involved with driving there, parking, checking in, changing, showering, then reversing it all. would have made daily sauna bathing impracticable for me. So Higher Dose seemed to check all the boxes for me. I purchased one for each of us as holiday gifts and we began sauna bathing the week before Christmas. Like putting custom orthotics in my running shoes and learning how to properly meditate, the summary of my experience thus far is: I wish I had done this sooner.
How I Sauna Bathe
About 6 days per week, not on a full stomach (and not after a glass or two of wine), we climb in, zip up, and sweat it out. Sometimes I use the first 20 minutes to meditate using my mantra and the next half hour to focus on my sweat while I catch up with Tricia about the day, the latest science, our family news, our lives. I find it to be particularly good bonding time and the fact that we are next to each other but not facing each other seems to facilitate initiating conversations that couples can sometimes tend to put-off. We go for 50 minutes total and then jump into the shower. At the end of my shower, I generally like to turn the water to cold and stand for one minute under the bracing freeze to cause the release of cold shock proteins which are similar in many ways to heat shock proteins (but are far less pleasant to induce). This completes the process for me and leaves me feeling incredibly alert and clear-headed. I do not use cold if I sauna bathe in the later evening as the extreme level of alertness and mental clarity can make it difficult for me to fall asleep.
My Experience So Far
I find that sauna bathing in the afternoon makes my evening meal smaller as I generally feel less hungry after a sauna 'workout.' Sauna right after a hike, run, or strength training session tends to shorten the duration or eliminate my experience of delayed onset muscle soreness and dramatically enhances my experience of post-exercise well-being. Overall, I have been sleeping better since I introduced the practice of daily sauna and it seems to enhance my other hormetic practices including intermittent fasting. The Higher Dose sauna blanket is easy to clean (we use a steamer and a clean towel to wipe it down after use–about 30 seconds of work). Overall, I rate my experience as a 5/5 (as does Tricia) after the first few weeks of daily sauna bathing. It delivers big up-front benefits and being able to do it in the security and convenience of our home makes all the difference–especially as the pandemic continues to unfold.
We have decided to recommend this product based on the science and our experience with it. Higher Dose has agreed to offer a 15% (about $100 off the sauna blanket) discount to anyone that applies it upon check out. Please use one of our links on this page to visit the Higher Dose website. Full disclosure, when you use our link and make a purchase, we receive a small commission, please note that we did not receive any free products to endorse this product, our enthusiasm for the product is based on our experience after purchasing for personal use. Be sure and apply the following code when ordering to receive our special patient discount: Berkoff15
We have decided to recommend this product based on the science and our experience with it. Higher Dose has agreed to offer a 15% (about $100 off the sauna blanket) discount to anyone that applies it upon check out. Please use one of our links on this page to visit the Higher Dose website. Full disclosure, when you use our link and make a purchase, we receive a small commission, please note that we did not receive any free products to endorse this product, our enthusiasm for the product is based on our experience after purchasing for personal use. Be sure and apply the following code when ordering to receive our special patient discount: Berkoff15
