Summer is around the corner, and the gyms are flooded with people trying to build impressive sets of abs, biceps, calves or whatnot. What if we told you that sessions in the sauna may speed up the process?

The history of sauna bathing goes back many years. In some countries, such as Finland, saunas are found in almost every home. Traditionally, saunas have been used for relaxation and cleansing, but today, they are becoming increasingly used to achieve a number of specific health and fitness benefits.

One group that is quickly discovering the gains of sauna bathing are athletes, and not only for the usual, post-workout relaxation that has been common among gym-goers for a long. According to Dr Rhonda Perciavalle Patrick, PhD, increasing the body temperature can actually generate dramatic improvements in muscular growth and endurance. Dr. Patrick refers to this as ”Hyperthermic conditioning” which, judging from emerging research, seems to have a number of positive health effects.

When your body is subjected to heat, it gradually becomes used to it, which prompts a number of beneficial changes in your body. Among these adaptive changes are increased plasma volume and blood flow to your heart and muscles. This leads to both an increase in athletic endurance and increased muscle mass due to greater levels of heat-shock proteins and growth hormones.