Dr. Huberman Protocol for Sauna
Huberman is one of our favorite podcasts and health coaches to learn from. We appreciate the way he is able to distill complex information into digestible chunks and ways to take action for your health. We tried to distill some of his main points for sauna protocol for you but encourage you to click the link to his website and podcast to learn more!
Remember to stay hydrated before and after you sauna. Sweat is made if water and electrolytes so it is recommended to drink at least 16 ounces of water for every 10 minutes you spend in the sauna.
To align with your natural circadian rhythm, use sauna during the afternoon/evening to match your body’s natural cooling with your post sauna to aid in falling asleep.
Protocol #1 - Impacting Cardiovascular Health
In order to positively impact cardiovascular health, try the following:
Heat sauna to temperature ranging from 80-100 ℃; 176-212 ℉. Note: follow your body’s response as your guide to determine safe temperature.
Stay in sauna anywhere from 5-20 minutes per sauna session
Use sauna 2-3 times a week or up to 7 times a week (more frequent does appear to have greater impact to health)
Sauna roots are in Scandinavian cultures, where for centuries they found a correlation between sauna use and improved mood. Our bodies respond to heat with the release of dynorphins and endorphins in the brain causing us to experience a mild happy euphoria after sauna.
Studies have found that regular use of sauna can decrease cortisol levels and enhance our DNA pathways for repair and longevity which contribute to improved stress response and overall health.
Protocol #2 - Sauna for General Health
Use sauna for a total of one hour per week (but not all at once - split into 2-3 sessions)
Temperature should be between 80-100 ℃; 176-212 ℉.
Growth hormone is released at night while we sleep and plays a critical role in stimulating muscle growth, repairing tissue, increasing metabolism and strengthening bones. As we age, there is a natural decline in growth hormone so frequent use of sauna has been proven to boost the amount of growth hormone released as we sleep.
Protocol #3 - Sauna for Growth Hormone Release
Use sauna once a week or less
On the days you sauna, sauna for multiple sessions of 30 minutes each with cool down periods in between
You can repeat that for a total of four 30 minute sessions in one day (you can spread across day)
To maximize growth hormone release, use sauna in a semi-fasted state (no food for 2-3 hours prior to sauna). Semi-fasted state has lower blood glucose levels which encourage growth hormone release.
Alternate sauna sessions with cold exposure during cool down periods (cold plunge).
