You’ve most likely seen the Instagram posts, runners coaching at altitude camps in Boulder or Flagstaff, bragging about their EPO good points and blood quantity will increase.
And also you’ve most likely thought: “That sounds nice, however I can’t take three weeks off work to stay at 7,000 ft.”
Right here’s what most runners don’t understand: you won’t have to.
Analysis by Scoon and colleagues [1] discovered that runners who added Half-hour of post-exercise sauna bathing to their regular coaching improved their time to exhaustion by 32%, equal to reducing almost 2% off their 5k time. That’s the distinction between a 20:00 5k and a 19:36. The distinction between hitting your Boston qualifier and lacking it by two minutes.
The mechanism? Warmth stress triggers the identical EPO manufacturing and blood quantity enlargement that altitude coaching does, however you are able to do it at your native gymnasium for $15 as an alternative of spending $3,000 on an altitude camp.
That’s as a result of strategic warmth publicity creates physiological variations which can be remarkably much like altitude coaching, elevated pink blood cell manufacturing, expanded plasma quantity, and improved oxygen supply to working muscular tissues.
For time-constrained grownup runners (that’s most of us), that is game-changing information. You don’t have to disrupt your life, your job, or your loved ones schedule to get efficiency good points that had been beforehand solely accessible to professionals.
Right here’s what it’s worthwhile to know: the particular protocols that work, when to make use of sauna coaching in your race preparation, which exercises to pair it with, and the protection concerns you may’t ignore.
Why Altitude Coaching Works (And Why You Can’t Do It)
Athletes have relied on altitude coaching for many years as a result of the science is easy: lowered oxygen availability at elevation triggers your kidneys to launch erythropoietin (EPO).
EPO indicators your bone marrow to supply extra pink blood cells, rising your blood’s oxygen-carrying capability.
However right here’s the issue: altitude coaching requires 500+ hours of publicity above 2,100 meters to maximise hemoglobin will increase.
That’s not a weekend journey to the mountains. That’s weeks of dwelling at elevation.
Most grownup runners balancing coaching with careers and households merely can’t make that work. Even “stay excessive, practice low” protocols require entry to altitude homes or hypoxic chambers that price 1000’s month-to-month.
The Sweat Connection: How Warmth Mimics Altitude
If you sit in a sauna after your exercise, one thing outstanding occurs.
You sweat, rather a lot. And that sweat comes primarily out of your blood plasma (the liquid a part of your blood, separate from pink blood cells).
As plasma quantity decreases and also you change into strategically dehydrated, blood movement to your kidneys drops. This discount in renal blood movement triggers the identical response as altitude: EPO launch.
However there’s extra occurring than simply dehydration.
The landmark examine by Scoon and colleagues [1] discovered that aggressive male runners who accomplished 3 weeks of post-exercise sauna bathing elevated plasma quantity by 7.1% and pink blood cell quantity by 3.5%.
These weren’t leisure joggers. These had been aggressive athletes with sub-18 minute 5k instances.
Let’s take a look at what this truly means in your working.
What Blood Quantity Growth Does For Your Efficiency
Take into consideration your cardiovascular system like a water pump.
When there’s extra water within the system, every pump stroke strikes extra fluid with much less effort. Extra blood quantity means each heartbeat delivers extra oxygen to working muscular tissues with out your coronary heart working tougher.
The end result? Decrease coronary heart charges on the identical effort ranges and improved VO2max.
Analysis by Kirby and colleagues [2] on middle-distance runners demonstrated roughly 8% enchancment in VO2max and 4% enchancment in working velocity at lactate threshold after intermittent post-exercise sauna bathing.
Evaluate this to conventional altitude coaching, which requires 500 hours at elevation to maximise hemoglobin will increase, whereas warmth coaching could be accomplished in 10-20 periods over 2-4 weeks.
That’s not a marginal distinction. That’s accessible efficiency enhancement.
The Protocol That Really Works
The analysis is remarkably constant on what produces outcomes (and what wastes your time).
Conventional saunas at 85-90°C (185-194°F) with low humidity seem optimum for triggering variations. Infrared saunas at decrease temperatures can work, although you might want longer periods.
Period issues: 20-Half-hour per session is the evidence-based candy spot.
Timing is essential. Enter the sauna inside Half-hour of finishing your exercise, this capitalizes in your already-elevated core temperature and maximizes the physiological stimulus.
Begin with 3-4 sauna periods per week, every following a reasonable to onerous coaching run (not your hardest exercise, and positively not your future).
The primary session will probably be difficult. That’s not shocking if you happen to’ve by no means achieved warmth coaching earlier than. However your warmth tolerance builds shortly, most runners discover important enchancment inside 3-5 exposures.
The confirmed protocol: sauna 3-4 instances weekly for 3 consecutive weeks, then take an entire break.
Right here’s the controversial half that almost all articles received’t let you know: strategic dehydration enhances the EPO response.
The Scoon examine [1] contributors didn’t pound water throughout their sauna periods. They allowed themselves to change into dehydrated throughout the warmth publicity, this managed stress is a part of what triggers the variation.
You may drink small quantities (as much as 100ml) throughout a 30-minute session, however the aim is warmth stress, not consolation. This creates the hormonal set off you want with out compromising security.
When To Use It (And When To Skip It)
Begin your sauna protocol 3-4 weeks earlier than a aim race.
Peak advantages happen after roughly 12 periods unfold over 3 weeks. Then, and that is essential, cease all sauna coaching 7-10 days earlier than competitors.
This taper permits your blood quantity variations to stabilize and ensures you arrive race day feeling contemporary, not fatigued.
However timing extends past the calendar. It’s additionally about which exercises you pair with warmth publicity.
Use sauna after reasonable to moderately-hard runs the place you end feeling sturdy, suppose tempo runs, threshold work, or steady-state efforts.
Skip the sauna after depletion exercises, lengthy runs exceeding 90 minutes, or periods already accomplished in scorching situations.
Sadly, the analysis reveals vital limitations. A examine [3] of swimmers confirmed that post-workout sauna impaired next-day efficiency after very onerous periods. After intensive train that leaves you depleted and dehydrated, sauna turns into a further stressor that diverts restoration sources away from muscle restore.
The problem is that warmth publicity will increase blood movement to the pores and skin for cooling fairly than to muscular tissues for restoration. If you’re already depleted, this trade-off works towards you.
Take heed to your physique. For those who’re dizzy, nauseous, or extraordinarily fatigued, defer your warmth session.
Security First: What You Want To Know
Warmth coaching isn’t applicable for everybody.
When you have cardiovascular situations, uncontrolled hypertension, or historical past of warmth sickness, this protocol isn’t for you. Pregnant ladies shouldn’t use post-exercise warmth coaching, and anybody taking medicines that have an effect on sweating or thermoregulation should seek the advice of their doctor first.
Correct hydration earlier than getting into the sauna is non-negotiable. Drink 500-750ml of fluid within the hour earlier than your session.
Submit-sauna, aggressive rehydration issues. Purpose for electrolyte-rich fluids together with carbohydrates, analysis [4] suggests 1.2g of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight every hour for the primary 4 hours.
Exit instantly if you happen to expertise excessive dizziness, nausea, fast heartbeat, or confusion. These are indicators of warmth exhaustion and require fast cooling and rehydration.
However, we don’t wish to be pushing by means of signs (regardless of how robust we’re). As a substitute, we wish to perceive the indicators our physique is sending and reply appropriately.
Anticipated Outcomes and Lifelike Timelines
The Scoon examine [1] demonstrated 1.9% enchancment in 5k efficiency after simply 3 weeks, contributors elevated their time to exhaustion at 5k tempo by 32%.
For many runners, plasma quantity enlargement begins inside 4-7 days. You’ll discover decrease coronary heart charges at given paces inside 10-14 days. Peak variations happen round week 3.
Particular person responses differ, however the analysis offers clear steerage: this protocol works for skilled leisure runners, not simply elites.
Your baseline warmth tolerance impacts preliminary adaptation velocity, and runners with greater preliminary health ranges might even see smaller share good points. That’s not shocking if you happen to’ve been coaching persistently for years.
Making It Work With Your Life
The great thing about post-exercise warmth coaching is its effectivity.
You’re already on the gymnasium or have simply completed a house run. Including 20-Half-hour of sauna doesn’t require separate coaching time or journey to an altitude camp.
Begin by securing constant sauna entry, most gyms have them, group facilities typically do, and residential models have change into extra reasonably priced.
Schedule your first 3-week block throughout a base-building part, not throughout race-specific coaching when each exercise counts towards a particular adaptation.
Time it to finish 3-4 weeks earlier than your aim race, then cease fully 7-10 days out.
Monitor your restoration rigorously throughout the first week. The added stress of warmth publicity means you may want to scale back coaching quantity by 10-15% initially. Watch your morning coronary heart price, if it stays elevated, you’re not recovering adequately.
The Accessible Efficiency Edge
Whereas your opponents spend 1000’s on altitude homes or journey to elevation camps, you may obtain comparable variations with gear that prices $10-20 per session at most gyms.
The analysis backs it: post-exercise sauna coaching triggers comparable physiological variations to altitude, together with EPO manufacturing, blood quantity enlargement, and improved oxygen supply.
A 3-week protocol can ship 2-3% efficiency enhancements. For a runner focusing on a 3:30 marathon, that’s over 6 minutes. For somebody chasing a sub-20 5k, that’s 24 seconds.
The science is evident, the protocols are confirmed, and the barrier to entry is remarkably low.
Begin with discovering sauna entry. Add periods after reasonable exercises. Construct steadily. Cease earlier than your race. Hydrate aggressively.
That’s the protocol. Now you will have the data to implement it accurately.
