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Thermoregulation, Hormesis, and Regular Sauna Use: Why Heat Therapy Can Be Effective in the Treatment of Such a Vast Array of Ailments

It may seem baffling that sauna use is associated with the amelioration of such a vast diversity of ailments; almost at times as if sauna bathing is touted as a cure-all. From improved heart health, Fibromyalgia, Psoriasis, to better hormonal function, this is just a few conditions that are positively affected by regular sauna use. 

So what is happening with the body to create the necessary biochemical changes to elicit such vastly different illnesses? The answer is simple Thermoregulation. The human body, unlike almost all other species on earth, has the unique capacity to sweat, and therefore regulate internal temperatures despite very high external temperatures.

The act of taking a sauna induces thermoregulation by means of hormesis (intentional positive stress on the body). As the whole organism responds to the heat, a myriad of changes occur in the body that are correlated with the improvement over time of many different adaptations. 

If you examine the process of thermoregulation as it occurs during an intentional and relatively short period of time as seen in the sauna, it is relatively simple to understand how and why saunas may positively affect seemingly unrelated diseases. 

What Is Hormesis?

“That which does not kill us only makes us stronger” -Nietzsche

The use of the hormetic effect can be seen in many areas of medicine and positive lifestyle behaviors such as vaccines, radiation, icing of an injury, exercise, dermatological applications, and even intentional high heat exposure. Hormesis is the intentional act of exposing the body to a chemical, substance, behavior, or temperature that places a stress on the body for a limited period of time or in a limited dose. 

Very often prolonged exposure to the same substance, temperature, or behavior could be very dangerous to the body; however, medicinal and quantified ways have the inverse effect. For example, icing a sprained ankle early on can help to improve the body’s natural healing mechanism; however, being deserted outside in  below freezing temperatures for a prolonged period of time may end in death of the body. The same is true of vaccines that are given out as small doses to create a resiliency within the body for later on in life in the event that the individual is exposed to the same disease in a higher dose. (1)

Humans have used intentional high stress placed on the body for a short amount of time, or in a small enough dosage to create an ultimately stronger body for a long time and in many different areas of health. 

In many ways the old adage of the German philosopher, Nietzsche was correct as it relates to medicinal treatments when he penned: “That which does not kill us only makes us stronger”. Although the philosopher may not have had sauna use and cold plunges in mind at the time that he wrote this, the same basic principle still applies. (2)

Entering into a sauna creates heat stress on the body, but at a controlled temperature and for specific amounts of time. Exposure to a 150 degree sauna for 40 minutes will create many positive effects in the body; however, continued exposure to high heats without relief can harm the body. 

 In short, hormesis is a dosage of stress placed on the body with the intention of creating a healthier milieu for human physiology. 

What Is Thermoregulation?

The thermoregulatory center of the body sits in the hypothalamus close to the center of the brain. This process is similar to having a thermostat responsible for detecting the temperature of your entire home. If the environment is too cold the temperature is raised, and if the environment is too hot the temperature is lowered. Your central heating or cooling system sends signals out to many of the body’s systems, organs, proteins, and cytokines to begin a cascade of action in the body to bring the body back to a stable state of 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. (3)

In addition to the hypothalamus, the body also has temperature sensors on the skin, and in tandem with the central thermoregulatory system, the body continues to always seek homeostasis. 

In more academic terms, according to the publication ‘Physiology, Temperature Regulation’ from the National Library of Medicine, here is what thermoregulation does for the body:

The human body’s thermostat is the hypothalamic thermoregulatory center, which, more specifically, is located in the preoptic area of the hypothalamus. This center sets the body’s set point and regulates temperature homeostasis. The hypothalamus contains temperature sensors, which receive information via nerve cells called thermoreceptors. The body has peripheral and central thermoreceptors. The peripheral thermoreceptors are located in the skin and sense surface temperatures, while central thermoreceptors are found in the viscera, spinal cord, and hypothalamus and sense the core temperature. Variations in body temperature activate these thermoreceptors, which inform the preoptic area of the hypothalamus. This area then activates heat regulation mechanisms to increase or decrease body temperature and return it to baseline.” (3)

If you prefer a more visual form of learning, then take a look at the anatomical image below:

(4)

As the body seeks to warm itself up or to cool itself down, many wonderful biochemical responses occur such as activation of the heart, improved circulation, production of heat shock proteins, and vasodilation, and of course perspiration, as well as many other positive responses within different organs and systems of the body.

Vasodilation: “Vasodilation refers to the widening of the arteries and large blood vessels. It is a natural process that occurs in response to low oxygen levels or increases in body temperature. It increases blood flow and oxygen delivery to areas of the body that require it most.” (5)

The net result of the body engaged in thermoregulatory patterns for specific periods of time elicits a wonderful myriad of changes that alter the body’s composition in such a way as to promote overall health. 

Even before humans had the science and the tools to understand the specific happenings of the body under severe heat, the ancients knew its power.

“Give me the power to produce fever and I’ll cure all disease” Parmenides ~500 BC

The fever is induced during certain illnesses. Although it feels like a symptom, it is actually the body rallying the forces of thermoregulation to begin the healing process. 

A sauna, at its most crude interpretation, induces an artificial fever to summon positive biochemical reactions in the body to optimize health and wellness, regardless of what may be ailing you. 

How Using a Sauna Intentionally Induces the Positive Effects of Thermoregulation & Hormesis

The use of a sauna is the enlisting of both the hormetic effect in conjunction with thermoregulatory functions of the body. As discussed earlier, hormesis is exposure of the body to potentially harmful stressors but in a controlled dosage. In the case of cold exposure, or heat exposure there is the possibility of severe danger.

“Disruption of the body’s ability to thermoregulate can lead to temperatures that are too low (hypothermia) or too high (hyperthermia).” (3)

The temperature of a sauna can be controlled, as well as the time that a person spends in the sauna so as to avoid hypothermia. It is hot enough to induce a medicinal level of heat in order to conjure up the healing power of thermoregulation. 

When heat stress of the hormetic variety is married to thermoregulation the result is the sauna operating as a tool for health and wellness. Thermoregulation summons the power of the body to begin to cool itself off by the induction of sweating process, increase of the heart rate, and improved circulation as well as Heat shock Protein production. The center control of thermoregulation is in the brain. It sparks immense changes in the nervous system at large.

It is the coupling of the hormetic effect with thermoregulation that sauna use is able to singularly affect many different ailments of the body.  

Sauna Bathing May Improve Many Aspects of Health: One Behavioral Action May Induce A Total Upgrade of the Body’s Milieu

Hopefully, by now there is a better understanding of how sauna use on a regular basis may affect a positive change on many different aspects of the body. The reason is simply that thermoregulation as it is induced through hormesis affects the entire body from the center of the brain, through every organ, blood vessel, protein, cytokine, and likely beyond what can currently be measured. 

The body is flooded with an array of incredible biological changes during a sauna session that may alter the course of the body’s health for a lifetime. 

Regardless of the time and temperature restrictions during a sauna it is still imperative to maintain excellent hydration levels before, during, and after each and every sauna session. Sauna use and high heat is not for everyone. It should not be used to treat all medical conditions. Please always consult a medical professional before beginning a sauna program.

Citations:

  1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2661975/
  2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6875627/
  3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK507838/
  4. https://www.researchgate.net/figure/A-simplified-human-thermoregulation-the-hypothalamus-checks-the-bodys-core-temperature_fig1_333743297
  5. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/327402

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