Sauna

What it is

• Passive heat exposure. Main types: traditional/Finnish dry (high heat, low humidity), steam (lower heat, high humidity), and infrared/near-infrared (lower air temp, radiant heating deeper into tissue).

How it works

• Heat stress → heat-shock proteins, improved cardiovascular/endothelial function (NO), increased blood flow, and a transient GH rise; a hormetic stressor (Mitohormesis). Near-infrared also synergises with red-light/GHK-Cu for skin.

Goal relevance

• Recovery (blood flow, relaxation), cardiovascular longevity, and tissue healing (pairs with repair peptides via increased perfusion).

How to do it

• Common protocol ~15–20 min, 80–100°C dry (or per device), 2–4×/week; hydrate + electrolytes. Evening sauna can aid sleep onset (body-temp rebound).

Cautions

• Dehydration, blood-pressure drops, not immediately post-resistance-training if hypertrophy is the goal (heat/blood-flow may blunt some adaptation — minor).