An infrared sauna differs from a traditional sauna
Some of the benefits of infrared saunas reported are:
- Decreased muscle soreness
- Decreased joint pain
- Relaxation of body and mind
- Tissue detoxification
- Improved circulation
- Improved sleep.
Muscle Recovery
The amount of time it takes for your muscles to recover from exercise depends on your fitness levels and the difficulty of your workout. The volume, intensity, and duration of your workout all play a role in determining how taxing it is on your body.
one of the foremost researchers on infrared, Dr. Michael Hamblin, published a study which suggests that red light and near infrared (NIR) can increase muscle mass gained after training, and decrease inflammation and oxidative stress.
The Journal of Athletic Enhancement published a study of 10 national-level power athletes that found far infrared improves neuromuscular performance during intensive training associated with increased testosterone/cortisol ratio. “Improved recovery can enable harder training and accelerate further athletic development.”
Relaxation
The American Institute of Stress estimates stress problems make up 75 to 90% of all primary care doctor visits. Cortisol is the culprit. Stress increases that “fight or flight” hormone that raises heart rate, blood pressure and deposits excess calories in our midsection.
Anti-Aging and Skin Health
In a 2006 study, researchers examined the impact of infrared on collagen and elastin, two key ingredients of healthy skin. They found that both collagen and elastin increased after exposure to infrared and all patients included in the study reported enhanced skin texture, less roughness, and improvement in color.
Infrared increases circulation and delivery of oxygen to injured or damaged areas and helps with cell turnover, which aids the appearance of scars. Studies using NASA LED technology concluded that NIR LED light significantly promotes faster cell regeneration, wound healing, and human tissue growth. Human cell growth increased by 155-171%.