Last week, we learned about cold exposure, the claims people make about it, and how we can actually reap its benefits. This week, we tackle the other side of the coin, Heat Exposure.

Heat exposure is slightly more than spending time outside in our Utah summers, where temperatures reach around 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Heat exposure is defined as deliberate time spent in temperatures ranging from 120 to 200 degrees. The primary method of heat exposure you’ll find is the sauna. Traditional or dry saunas, heated with regular heating elements, usually come in around 160 degrees on average. Wet saunas, heated with a heating element and steam, come in slightly higher, around 170 degrees on average. Infrared saunas, heated with infrared rays, come in slightly lower, around 145 degrees.

Each sauna has its own varying benefits, but at a base level, the main goal is the same — raising the body’s temperature. This, like cold plunging, comes with a long list of supposed benefits that range from fact, like a decrease in delayed onset muscle soreness, to outlandish, like a drastic decrease in all-cause mortality.

The most widely reported and confirmed benefits of sauna therapy are increased relaxation and decreased stress. The heat produces a reaction inside the body that helps regulate hormones related to stress. For many, this also leads to better, more restful sleep. Sauna therapy has also been found to decrease and in some cases eliminate pain and improve cardiovascular health. The high temperatures stimulate blood flow, and this is thought to help relax the muscles, decreasing the sensation of pain.

Some other benefits of the sauna could include improved respiratory function and a decrease in general inflammation. The warm air circulating through the body is thought to relax the airways, resulting in more even, easy breathing. The warm air is also thought to decrease inflammation in all systems. This could lead to a myriad of health benefits linked to chronic inflammation, like arthritis, heart disease, and cancer. These benefits, however, have not been studied to a significant degree and thus should not be taken as fact.

It is important to clear any new program or practice with your doctor, and this is especially important for the sauna. If you are pregnant, or have a severe medical condition, do not enter the sauna without clearing it first with a doctor. While the benefits reported by the sauna seem great, the sauna can negatively affect some in unexpected ways.

The sauna, just like the cold plunge, is not a magic pill. You will not find the fountain of youth in the sauna at your local gym. Rather, it is a tool you could use to help you improve your health, especially after your diet, training, and recovery are in check.