Infrared Sauna Benefits: What the Research Says

This article is for general education and isn't medical advice. Check with your doctor before using a sauna if you have a heart condition, high or low blood pressure, are pregnant, or have a medical condition.

Cardiovascular Health and Heart Function

The strongest evidence for sauna bathing in general comes from cardiovascular research — but that research was done in traditional Finnish saunas, not infrared. A landmark prospective cohort study from the University of Eastern Finland, led by Dr. Jari Laukkanen and published in JAMA Internal Medicine in 2015, followed 2,315 middle-aged men for over 20 years. The findings were striking: men who used a sauna 4–7 times per week had a 50% lower risk of fatal cardiovascular disease and a 40% lower risk of all-cause mortality compared to those who used a sauna just once a week.

Session duration mattered too. Participants who spent more than 19 minutes per session had a 52% lower risk of sudden cardiac death compared to those who kept sessions under 11 minutes. A 2018 study from the same group, which included women, found a similar link between frequent sauna use and lower cardiovascular mortality — again with traditional saunas.

Here's the honest caveat for infrared buyers: the Finnish saunas in these studies averaged around 175°F (79°C), and the researchers noted their findings may not apply to saunas that run at lower temperatures. Long-term studies like these haven't been done with infrared saunas, so don't assume the heart and mortality results transfer directly. An infrared sauna does raise your core temperature and heart rate, and it makes regular heat exposure easy to fit into a routine at home.

Browse our full sauna collection to find the right model for your space and health goals.

Muscle Recovery and Reduced Soreness

As a certified personal trainer, I see clients push hard in the gym and then wonder why recovery takes so long. Infrared saunas may support the recovery process mainly by increasing blood flow to working muscles and helping you relax.

Infrared panels warm your body directly rather than just heating the surrounding air. Most infrared energy is absorbed in the skin — Germany's Federal Office for Radiation Protection notes that near infrared reaches only about 5mm deep and longer wavelengths stop in the outer skin layer — but the overall warming increases blood circulation, delivering oxygen and nutrients to muscle fibers that need repair.

A small 2015 study published in SpringerPlus tested 30 minutes of far-infrared sauna after training in 10 physically active men. After a maximal endurance session, jump performance during recovery was better with the infrared sauna than with sitting; after a strength session, recovery wasn't different from sitting. The authors concluded that far-infrared sauna appears favorable for recovering from maximal endurance performance.

The practical application: 15–20 minutes in an infrared sauna within a few hours of training is a comfortable way to unwind and may help you feel ready for your next session. Pair your sauna sessions with your training equipment for a complete performance system.

Pain Relief and Joint Health

Infrared sauna therapy has shown promising results for chronic pain conditions, particularly arthritis. A pilot study published in Clinical Rheumatology evaluated 34 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS) who received eight infrared sauna treatments over four weeks. Pain and stiffness dropped significantly during sessions; over the four weeks, improvements were seen but weren't statistically significant. No adverse effects or disease exacerbation were reported.

The likely pain relief mechanisms are simple: the vasodilation triggered by infrared heat increases blood flow, and warmth can ease muscle tension and stiffness around affected joints.

These are preliminary findings from a small trial, but the safety signal was encouraging — infrared sauna sessions were well tolerated, with no reported flare-ups of symptoms.

If you deal with chronic joint stiffness, morning soreness, or exercise-related inflammation, an infrared sauna session may help reduce symptoms and improve your range of motion over time. Always consult your physician if you have a diagnosed inflammatory condition.

What Sweating Does (and Doesn't) Do

The detoxification claims around saunas deserve careful, honest treatment. Here's what the research actually shows.

A small study published in the Journal of Environmental and Public Health — known as the BUS (Blood, Urine, and Sweat) study — led by Dr. Stephen Genuis at the University of Alberta analyzed sweat, blood, and urine samples from 20 participants. It found toxic elements, including cadmium, in participants' sweat — in some cases elements that weren't detectable in their blood.

The honest caveat: your liver and kidneys do the body's real clearing work. Finding a substance in sweat doesn't mean a sauna removes a meaningful amount of it, and the clinical significance of sweat-based heavy metal excretion is still debated in the scientific community. Don't buy a sauna to "detox" — buy it for the heat exposure, relaxation, and recovery.

Stress Reduction and Relaxation

Chronic stress is one of the biggest obstacles to recovery, performance, and long-term health. Regular sauna sessions can help by giving you a dedicated time to relax and unwind.

The mechanism works on multiple levels. The heat triggers your body's relaxation response — heart rate initially elevates (similar to the cardiovascular training effect), then transitions to a deep parasympathetic state as you cool down after the session. This mirrors the stress-recovery cycle that builds resilience over time. In a 2024 survey of 971 adults in northern Sweden, sauna bathers reported better general and mental health and more satisfying sleep than non-users (a survey can't show cause and effect, and it wasn't specific to infrared saunas).

For anyone operating in a high-stress environment — running a business, training hard, managing a demanding schedule — regular infrared sauna sessions create a structured daily recovery practice that helps you wind down.

Improved Sleep Quality

The sleep benefits of infrared sauna use connect directly to the stress reduction and thermoregulation effects discussed above. In the Global Sauna Survey of 482 respondents, 83.5% reported sleep benefits after sauna use — self-reported data, not a controlled trial.

The primary mechanism is thermoregulation. Your body initiates sleep partly through a decline in core body temperature. An infrared sauna session raises your core temperature, and the subsequent cooling period accelerates the natural temperature drop that signals sleep onset. This is why an evening sauna session (finishing at least 1–2 hours before bed) can be a useful sleep hygiene tool.

If you struggle with sleep quality — particularly if you train in the evenings and have trouble winding down — an evening infrared sauna session is worth trying.

Skin Health and Collagen Production

Infrared wavelengths, particularly near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths, have been studied for their effects on skin health. Infrared heat increases blood circulation to the skin's surface, delivering nutrients and oxygen that support cellular renewal.

In a controlled trial of red and near-infrared light treatment, participants saw improvements in fine lines, skin roughness, and collagen density compared with controls. That trial used dedicated light-therapy units, not a sauna, so treat any skin benefit from a sauna's infrared heaters as unproven. The profuse sweating during sauna sessions also helps clear pores of debris and dead skin cells.

Any skin benefits are a secondary advantage rather than a primary reason to invest in an infrared sauna. The recovery and relaxation benefits matter far more. Consider any improvement in your skin a bonus.

Weight Management Support

Infrared saunas increase heart rate and energy expenditure during sessions — your body is working to cool itself, which burns calories.

Here's the straight talk: an infrared sauna is not a weight loss device. The caloric burn is modest compared to actual exercise, and much of the immediate weight loss from a sauna session is water weight that returns with rehydration. Where infrared sauna use may help with weight management is indirectly — for example, if it helps you sleep better (poor sleep is linked to weight gain) and stay consistent with your training.

Used as part of a comprehensive approach that includes proper training, nutrition, and recovery, infrared sauna sessions can be one supporting habit for healthy body composition. Don't buy a sauna expecting it to replace the gym — buy it because it makes everything else work better.

Start Your Infrared Sauna Practice

Sauna research spans decades: large Finnish studies link frequent traditional sauna use with lower cardiovascular risk, and smaller infrared studies point to short-term pain relief and recovery support, with many sauna users reporting better relaxation and sleep.

At Peak Flow Fitness, we carry infrared saunas from Golden Designs — offering 1 to 6-person models in far infrared and full spectrum configurations. Whether you're setting up a personal recovery station or building out a home gym with complete recovery tools, we have the right sauna for your space and goals. Pair your sauna sessions with red light therapy as another recovery tool and a massage chair for deep tissue work between sessions.

Shop infrared saunas and start your at-home recovery routine.

Want a cabin that plugs into an ordinary household outlet? The SunRay Sedona 1-2 person ($2,798) and SunRay Sierra 2-person cedar ($2,998) both run on standard 120V power. For a family, the SunRay Sequoia 4-person ($4,298) needs only a dedicated 120V, 20 amp circuit.

Related reading: Traditional vs Infrared Sauna · Sauna After Workout Benefits · Far Infrared vs Full Spectrum Sauna · Red Light Therapy 101 · Massage Chair Buying Guide

Our infrared sauna collection covers the full range, from single-person cabins to larger builds, and our indoor saunas group them by where they will actually fit.