What it is
Regulatory status: wellness and heat-exposure practice
Mechanism evidence: human
At a glance
What it is, why people use it, the evidence, and what to know before trying it.
Why people use it
- Relaxation and heat adaptation
- Blood-pressure and vascular effects
- Lower cardiovascular and all-cause mortality
Evidence at a glance
Small intervention studies support acute vascular effects and Finnish cohorts associate frequent sauna use with lower mortality. Randomized evidence for preventing cardiovascular events or extending life is absent, so large observational risk reductions should not be presented as causal.
Confidence: weak
Practice safety
Situations where this practice may need modification or professional guidance.
Dehydration, overheating, fainting and burns are key risks. Avoid use when acutely ill, intoxicated or dehydrated; pregnancy, unstable cardiovascular disease, impaired sweating and medicines affecting blood pressure or thermoregulation require medical guidance. Very high temperatures increase risk.
Forms and variants
This review does not automatically apply to:
- steam room
- infrared sauna
- hot bath
- exercise heat acclimation
Seen in protocols
Public protocols that include Dry sauna bathing. Open one to see the full context and source.