Athletes And The Infrared Sauna
Athletes have long known of the many benefits that come from using infrared saunas. Regular sauna use has been linked to increased endurance and greater physical performance, as well as improved levels of tolerance for more anaerobic exercises.
Infrared saunas are an excellent source of a low impact cardiovascular workout. “Many of us who run do so to place a demand on our cardiovascular system, not to build big leg muscles. Regular use of indoor saunas may impact a similar stress on the cardiovascular system, and its regular use may be as effective, as a means of cardiovascular conditioning and burning of calories, as regular exercise.” -American Medical Association
A great way to supplement an athletes fitness regime is to incorporate the calorie burning power of an infrared ray sauna. The Journal of American Medical Association reported that the average FIR sauna session burns around 500 calories. Regular sauna sessions boost the metabolism, eliminate fat cells, and burn lots of calories. Even though infrared sauna sessions are powerful and efficient calorie burners, do not consider them the absolute equivalent to a traditional cardiovascular work-out. Sauna sessions are great for warming up before, and relaxing after a workout, as well as keeping fit while injured and unable to be very mobile.
For every gram of transpiration we sweat off we burn 0.586 calories (Guyton’s Textbook of medical Physiology). An athlete can measure how many calories he/she is burning during a given infrared sauna session my measuring their sweat. On average, a human will sweat off half a liter of transpiration during a session, which is equal to 1,000 grams of sweat or 500 calories.
There are many benefits that come specifically from the warming effects of the deeply penetrating infrared rays on sore, damaged or tired muscles. The heat will dilate blood vessels and increase blood circulation which will assist muscles to repair and strengthen themselves. Also, the pain of worn or tight muscles will be lessened by the loosening of muscles and reduction of lactic acids that result from infrared sauna use.
FIR sauna’s provide the ideal way for an athlete to have a thorough warm-up to increase flexibility and prevent unnecessary injury. When tissues are warmed to 112 degrees Fahrenheit and then stretched, they retain roughly 0.5-0.9% of their length indefinitely. Thus 20 stretching sessions can result in a 10-18% increase in the length of tissues that are stretched in conjunction with infrared heat. (Justus Lehmann M.D., Williams and Wilkins, Therapeutic Heat and Cold.)
blooThe heat from the infrared rays is able to go deep into the joints of an ailing athlete. As the heat relaxes the muscles around the joint less strain and pressure is placed on the region. This helps overcome the issue of low d circulation that exists in the body’s joints and in-turn improves their ability to repair and heal.
When it comes to more serious injuries such as sprains, athletes should follow the normal protocol of icing and compressing the area immediately after injury. Following these actions the deep penetrating infrared rays will ease the pain and speed the process of recovery.
The tremendous value athletes find in utilizing far infrared ray saunas continues to contribute to their popularity. Whether we play ball with our pals once in a while or are professional athletes, we can be glad we have the option to relax in an infrared sauna.
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In order to know more about the numerous amazing benefits that come from a FIR sauna, go to HEALTHandMED.com
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