Coach Jade
I get a boat load of questions about the Infrared Sauna pretty much on the daily, so I thought we could go over a few of the most common ones and get a little deeper into the science behind the mechanism of action in relation to the healing properties of infrared light.
FAQS
What is the difference between IR Saunas and other Saunas?
Saunas work by heating you up in one of two ways: (1) skin temperature to core temperature, or (2) core temperature to skin temperature. The whole purpose of the sauna is to increase your internal body temperature to a degree (about 3 degrees higher than your homeostatic internal body temperature) in which your body starts to develop heat shock proteins and reap all of the benefits talked about so widely with the sauna (which we will go over shortly). Normal saunas heat your body from skin temperature to core temperature, so it usually takes a lot of heat and a lot of time to get your core temperature up by those vital 3 degrees. Infrared Saunas heat the body up from core temperature to skin temperature using infrared light (the same light that comes from the sun) which penetrates the body at different wavelengths: near, mid, and far. Near infrared light penetrates the skin's epidermis to remove toxins in the skin's cells and blood stream and stimulate collagen production. Mid infrared light penetrates
deeper into the body, through the dermis, fat layer, and muscles. Mid IR light will improve circulation, reduce inflammation, support healthy fat loss, and promote systemic cardiovascular health. Far infrared light penetrates the deepest, reaching through the muscles where most of our toxins are stored. Far IR light stimulates sweat glands and the lymphatic system to mobilize deeply rooted toxins and provide for a highly detoxifying sweat.
So to recap, Infrared Saunas use a different type of heat compared to traditional wet, dry, or steam saunas, to warm up the body from the inside out. This means you will get hotter quicker and at a lower temperature. Infrared Saunas also carry benefits far greater than traditional saunas in that you still get the heat shock protein response AND all of the added benefits of all wavelengths of infrared light.
2. What is Infrared Light?
Infrared light is the light that comes from the sun - not the harmful kind, but the healing part of the sun's light. (55% of the light that the sun emits is infrared light)
Visible light and infrared are part of the electromagnetic spectrum, a continuum of light waves organized by how they interact with matter - Infrared light is also outside of our visual spectrum so we cannot see it. The energy infrared light delivers is just the right nudge cells need to stimulate warmth, growth and release. Each level of infrared light penetrates a different or deeper level of the human body determining which cells its affecting.
What are the benefits of saunas in general and Infrared sauna?
The core benefit of sauna usage is to heat the body up internally to a high enough temperature that the body releases heat shock proteins - which are designed to reverse or inhibit the denaturing of our body's cellular proteins in response to stresses. The general idea with sauna benefits is that if you deliberately heat your body to release these proteins, you will be essentially training your cells to become stronger against damages done by stress, disease, and injuries. We can equate this to training in the gym: We train deadlifts in the gym so that out in the world (outside of the gym) when we need to lift something off of the floor we can do so easier and without risk of injury. If we train our bodies to respond to the stress of heat and release these proteins, our bodies will be better equipped to deal with other stressors we encounter out in the world (wether thats physical stress, emotional stress, mental stress, etc.)
Infrared sauna gives you the heat shock protein release as well as a plethora of additional benefits due to the healing properties of infrared light. There are three levels of infrared light and each wavelength has different benefits:
Near
- Absorbed at the cellular level by mitochondria (recharges mitochondria)
- Regenerates Cells
- Helps reduce body fat
- Reduces inflammation and pain
- Faster Wound healing
- Increases collagen production
Mid
- Pain relief
- Muscle recovery
- Cardiovascular health
Far
- Detoxification (Via. stimulation of sweat glands)
- Absorbed at cellular level by water molecules
- Weight Loss
- Immune System support
- Relaxation
- Muscle Recovery
The infrared Sauna is an amazing tool to incorporate into your wellness routine when the time is right and when on the right program for you. Talk to your trainer about what the best protocol for you is and if you have any further questions feel free to reach out via email at jade@otgfitnesssb.com or in person at the gym!
To book an infrared sauna session click the link below:
For more information on Mechanism of action behind Infrared light on the human body, here are some articles to read:
Hamblin MR. Mechanisms and applications of the anti-inflammatory effects of photobiomodulation. AIMS Biophys. 2017;4(3):337-361. doi: 10.3934/biophy.2017.3.337. Epub 2017 May 19. PMID: 28748217; PMCID: PMC5523874.
Loturco I, Abad C, Nakamura FY, Ramos SP, Kobal R, Gil S, Pereira LA, Burini F, Roschel H, Ugrinowitsch C, Tricoli V. Effects of far infrared rays emitting clothing on recovery after an intense plyometric exercise bout applied to elite soccer players: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial. Biol Sport. 2016 Sep;33(3):277-83. doi: 10.5604/20831862.1208479. Epub 2016 Jul 2. PMID: 27601783; PMCID: PMC4993144.
Mero A, Tornberg J, Mäntykoski M, Puurtinen R. Effects of far-infrared sauna bathing on recovery from strength and endurance training sessions in men. Springerplus. 2015 Jul 7;4:321. doi: 10.1186/s40064-015-1093-5. PMID: 26180741; PMCID: PMC4493260.
Tsai SR, Hamblin MR. Biological effects and medical applications of infrared radiation. J Photochem Photobiol B. 2017 May;170:197-207. doi: 10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2017.04.014. Epub 2017 Apr 13. PMID: 28441605; PMCID: PMC5505738.
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