Saunas are good for our health because the increased ambient heat triggers a cascade of positive effects in the body that can lower blood pressure and reduce inflammation. Unfortunately, most people don’t have access to a sauna. Obviously, things are different in Scandinavia, where saunas are everywhere and having a regular sauna is built into the culture. The good news is, after comparing the effects of saunas to an indulgent hot soak in a bath, researchers discovered that a hot bath is actually more beneficial than a sauna. Scientists at University of Oregon found that hot water immersion was the most impactful in increasing core body temperature, which is the main stimulus for the benefits of sauna. In the study, researchers monitored body temperature, blood pressure, heart rate, cardiac output (the amount of blood the heart pumps per minute), immune cell populations, and blood biomarkers of inflammation. Data was collected before, during and after subjects soaked in a hot tub, sat in dry heat, or tried infrared saunas. It’s the first time that three different heat therapies were compared. “Hot water immersion gives you the most robust changes in core temperature because you can’t effectively dissipate heat as you can if you have contact with the air and you’re sweating to cool the body,” said study author Jessica Atencio. “When you’re submerged in water, the sweat mechanisms aren’t efficient.” Both saunas and hot tubs can replicate some of the benefits of exercise by increasing heart rate, but soaking in tubs can create the effect more quickly and efficiently. So, if you don’t happen to live in a Scandinavian country where saunas are readily available, just soak in a hot bath and you’ll get even better benefits.
