Two of the most researched (and often overlooked) strategies to optimizing wellness and longevity are sauna and cold therapy. Both use environmental stressors to activate adaptive pathways in the body — improving cardiovascular health, metabolism, recovery, and even mental well-being.
Sauna Benefits: Beyond Relaxation
Sauna bathing has been studied extensively, particularly in Finland where it is a cultural norm. Research shows it’s associated with:
- Cardiovascular protection: Regular sauna use is linked to a decreased risk of cardiovascular-related death and major cardiac events.
- Brain health: Lower risk of dementia and cognitive decline.
- Longevity: Reduction in all-cause mortality.
- Exercise recovery: Improved time to exhaustion, reduced muscle soreness, and preserved muscle function after training.
- Mood regulation: Decreased anxiety and depressive symptoms.
- Sleep quality: Improvements in sleep efficiency.
- Pain relief: Reduction in headaches, back pain, and chronic pain syndromes.
- Stress modulation: Lower subjective stress and improved parasympathetic activity.
The Science Behind Sauna
- Lowering Inflammation
- C-reactive protein (CRP) is a marker of systemic inflammation strongly linked to atherosclerosis and cardiovascular risk.
- In a large Finnish cohort (n > 2,000), CRP levels were inversely related to sauna frequency — meaning the more often participants used the sauna, the lower their inflammation markers. Springer Link Study
- Hormonal and Neurochemical Shifts
- In men exposed to 80°C (176°F) until exhaustion:
- Norepinephrine ↑ 310% (improved alertness, focus, and vascular tone)
- Prolactin ↑ 900% (linked to myelin repair and neurogenesis)
- Insulin Sensitivity & Glucose Regulation
- Far-infrared sauna therapy has been shown to lower fasting blood glucose in humans. [76]
- In animal models, heat therapy decreased plasma insulin by 31% and improved glucose uptake in skeletal muscle via upregulation of GLUT4 transporters. [77]
- Since impaired GLUT4 activity is a driver of insulin resistance, sauna may enhance metabolic flexibility and protect against diabetes. [77]
Cold Therapy Benefits: Controlled Stress for Recovery & Metabolism
Cold exposure — whether through whole-body cryotherapy, cold plunges, or ice baths — triggers adaptive stress responses that benefit recovery, immunity, and metabolic health. Benefits include:
- Reduced post-exercise inflammation
- Faster muscle repair (decreased creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase) [72]
- Improved cytokine profile (increased IL-10, decreased IL-2, IL-8, and IL-1β)
- Activation of brown adipose tissue (BAT): Increases energy expenditure, improves insulin sensitivity, and enhances glucose disposal
The Science Behind Cold
- Recovery & Inflammation
- Male athletes undergoing cryotherapy daily for five days showed increased anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-10) and decreased pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-2, IL-8). Muscle damage markers also decreased.
- In marathon runners, CRP increased by 515% at 24h with passive recovery vs. only 123% with cryotherapy. By 72h, CRP returned to baseline in the cryotherapy group but remained elevated with passive recovery. [73]
- Brown Fat & Metabolic Health
- Brown adipose tissue (BAT) is metabolically active, burning glucose and fatty acids to generate heat.
- Cold exposure increases BAT volume, glucose uptake, and oxidative metabolism.
- Importantly, cold-induced glucose uptake in BAT can exceed insulin-stimulated uptake in skeletal muscle, making it a promising target for improving insulin sensitivity and preventing obesity. [41][42] [43][44][45] [46][47][48][49]
Putting It Together: Heat + Cold
- Sauna: 2–4 sessions/week, 15–30 minutes at 70–90°C, shown to optimize cardiovascular and metabolic benefits.
- Cold therapy: 2–5 exposures/week, 2–5 minutes at 50–59°F (10–15°C), effective for inflammation reduction and metabolic activation.
- Contrast therapy: Alternating heat and cold may provide synergistic effects — heat for cardiovascular conditioning and relaxation, cold for recovery and metabolic health.
Bottom Line
Sauna and cold therapy are not just “trendy wellness hacks” — they are hormetic stressors backed by decades of research. Regular exposure to controlled heat and cold can lower inflammation, improve cardiovascular and brain health, enhance exercise recovery, and boost metabolic function.
At STAT Wellness Nashville we are excited to partner with Framework Nashville, who offer both of these therapies. STAT Wellness members can receive their first session for FREE along with 15% off memberships.
Want to find out more about how these therapies can help you? Book a FREE 15 with one of our providers here.
