The study titled “A post-exercise infrared sauna session improves recovery of neuromuscular performance and muscle soreness after resistance exercise training” offers a detailed examination of the impact of infrared sauna (IRS) sessions on athletic recovery. It involved 16 male basketball players who underwent a complex resistance exercise protocol, followed by either a 20-minute passive recovery or an IRS session. The study found that IRS sessions significantly attenuated the decrease in countermovement jump (CMJ) performance and reduced muscle soreness compared to passive recovery. Additionally, IRS sessions resulted in higher heart rates and lower heart rate variability indices, indicating a shift in autonomic nervous system balance. However, IRS did not significantly affect nocturnal heart rate or heart rate variability, suggesting no detrimental impact on the autonomic nervous system’s recovery during sleep. These findings suggest that IRS could be a beneficial recovery tool for athletes, enhancing physical performance readiness without negatively impacting autonomic nervous system recovery.
Concluding Thoughts on Infrared Saunas and Traditional Saunas
While the study highlights the potential benefits of infrared sauna sessions in the context of athletic recovery, it is important to distinguish these from traditional sauna experiences. The International Sauna Association emphasizes that infrared cabins, despite their health benefits, do not replicate the authentic experience and cultural significance of traditional saunas and should not be named as a sauna. Traditional saunas are deeply ingrained in certain cultures and offer a unique set of benefits that extend beyond the physical, including social and traditional aspects that are not captured by infrared sauna sessions since they do not live up to Aachen Sauna definiton of 1999.