Benefits of Sauna & Deliberate Heat Exposure | Huberman Lab Essentials

One of the most compelling aspects of deliberate heat exposure comes from extensive research on sauna use and mortality. A landmark 2018 study published in BMC Medicine examined 1,688 participants with a mean age of 63, of whom 51.4% were women. The results were striking and consistent across different usage patterns.The study compared people who used sauna once per week versus those who used it two to three times per week versus those who used it four to seven times per week. The temperature ranges used were between 80°C (176°F) and 100°C (212°F), with sessions lasting anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes.People who went into the sauna two or three times per week were 27% less likely to die of a cardiovascular event compared to those who used sauna just once weekly. Even more impressive, those who used sauna four to seven times per week were 50% less likely to die of cardiovascular events. These benefits extended beyond just cardiovascular health to what researchers call "all-cause mortality" - meaning people were less likely to die from various health-related events including cancer and other conditions.What makes this research particularly robust is that researchers controlled for potentially confounding variables like smoking, weight, and exercise habits. The protective effects were truly attributable to the sauna exposure itself, not other lifestyle factors that might correlate with sauna use.