News & Resources

Heat Therapy & Sauna Health Benefits: Key Takeaways from Healthspan Q&A with Dr. Ashley Mason

For those who were unable to attend our recent Healthspan x Sonnenalp Club event with Dr. Ashley Mason, we wanted to share a brief recap of the key takeaways. Dr. Mason reviewed the science behind heat therapy and its role in training the body’s thermoregulatory system. Traditional saunas heat the air, while infrared heat use radiant energy to direct heat bodily tissues. Infrared heating can trigger sweating, which is the human body’s primary way of cooling itself, before core temperature rises, which can cause the body’s core temperature to actual decrease before it increases. This “thermoregulatory workout” may strengthen the body’s ability to self-regulate its temperature, and this ability has been linked to mental health. Specifically, research shows strong correlations between body temperature and depression severity, with improvements in mood associated with improved thermoregulation (i.e., lower body temperatures, larger diurnal temperature amplitude). Here is the document Ashley and Chris referenced related to depression and body temperature.

From a cardiovascular perspective, sauna use can raise heart rate, respiratory rate, and sweating in ways that mimic aerobic exercise, though we should not think of sauna as a replacement for physical activity. Research shows that frequency is the most important factor: sauna use 4–7 times per week provides greater benefit than 2–3 times per week, which is more beneficial than once weekly. Multiple shorter sessions are more effective, and a goal of total heat exposure (breaks are fine) of 19 minutes per session is ideal. The sauna experience should be sufficient to induce sweating and feeling of a heart rate increase. Sauna use following cardiovascular exercise may provide additive benefits, including improvements in VO₂ max. To avoid tangent glucose intolerance, it is recommended to limit sugar intake in the two hours before sauna and refuel afterward.

We are incredibly grateful to Dr. Ashley Mason for sharing her research and expertise, and to the Sonnenalp Club for hosting and supporting this event. If you are interested in learning how these insights can be applied in a personalized way through Healthspan, or if you’d like to stay informed about future educational events, workshops, and community offerings, we invite you to connect with our team or explore our upcoming programming.

For those interested in learning more about Dr. Mason’s research, you can explore the Sleep, Emotion, and Affective Neuroscience (SEA) Lab at UCSF.