After a workout in the sauna. Sauna (bath) after training: pros and cons.

Hello! Today we'll talk about the bathhouse. Do you like steaming in a sauna? I love it very much. When I lived in Donbass, there was a time when I went there consistently once a week for 4 whole years. At that time I didn’t get sick at all with colds and other nonsense.

Warm up in the steam room, then jump into the ice pool - it will be an amazing sensation, especially in winter and very useful. Well, what if you just worked out in the gym? Interest Ask. Let's talk about this now.

Many sports clubs and fitness centers offer not only well-equipped gyms, but also other areas, such as a fitness bar where you can rejuvenate with a protein shake or a sauna. There is an eternal debate about the latter between doctors and trainers, and there is still no clear opinion whether a sauna after a workout is useful or not.

Let's try to weigh the pros and cons of this very pleasant procedure for athletes after physical activity.

Should you go to the bathhouse (sauna) after training?

Looking at a person who has visited the sauna, it is impossible not to envy him: the pores of the skin have opened, the covering of the human body is free of toxins and looks rejuvenated.
And the person himself feels tired, but satisfied - the body experiences healthy relaxation. However, visiting a sauna immediately after heavy physical activity is, from a safety point of view, a controversial issue. And the main reason is the individual state of health and the body’s readiness for deep changes in external temperature.

In other words, for some, a bath, especially after a hard workout that includes basic exercises (squats with a barbell, deadlift, bench press), may be contraindicated due to insufficient health of the cardiovascular system (this is only one of the factors). But if your reaction to the sauna is generally normal, then visiting it immediately after strenuous physical activity, and especially if you are new to the gym, is not only a useful idea, but is, in fact, the only means of relieving painful sensations from the so-called muscle strain (so as not to experience unbearable discomfort the next day). However, first things first.

Types of saunas

Before we begin discussing the effect of a sauna on the body, we need to highlight its main types:

DRY SAUNA.

The main feature is maximum hot air up to 90-110 degrees, with minimum humidity below 15%. Dry steam is used for heating. The main representative is the Finnish sauna.

WET SAUNA.

It differs in air temperature of 75-90 degrees and high humidity. They are heated by pouring water over hot stones and also use aromatic oils, honey and cosmetics. After steaming, a cold pool is provided. A very invigorating and tonic procedure. Popular representatives are Russian and Turkish baths.

INFRARED SAUNA.

Quite a new invention of mankind. It is a small wooden room heated using infrared rays. It is characterized by a lower temperature, up to 40-50 degrees, so it is easier to tolerate and puts less strain on the heart.

The main feature is that the sauna warms up the body, and not the room itself. What are the benefits of an infrared sauna? With the help of her visit, you can relax tired muscles after a grueling workout and lose extra pounds. The rays also penetrate up to 4 cm under the skin, allowing you to get rid of even the last stage of cellulite and other skin diseases. The best option for athletes.

Pros, cons and controversial issues of a post-workout bath

Positive factors

What undoubted positive aspects can be identified from visiting the sauna after physical activity in the gym?

1. There is almost a doubling of the intensity of renewal of muscle fibers , due to the fact that their blood supply (and in general, the general blood circulation in the body) increases.
2. Blood vessels receive two different types of stimulation: first, you force them to dilate due to the fact that you are straining on exercise machines, and in the sauna they dilate due to the need for faster blood circulation. As a result, their walls become healthier and gain elasticity.
3. From a chemical point of view, a sauna after the gym removes lactic acid from the body, the lactate of which is the cause of muscle pain the next day. The destructive hormone cortisol is neutralized. And in addition, endorphins are released into the body, thanks to which such wonderful bliss is observed after the sauna.
4. Warming up the body in a sauna has a constructive effect on the process of getting rid of subcutaneous fat - high temperature and accelerated metabolism stimulate the removal of excess fat from the body.

Negative factors of a sauna

But every effect on the body has a downside . In what cases is it better to refuse to visit the steam room after training?

1. First of all, for hypertensive patients . A temperature change after exercise can cause a jump in blood pressure. It's better to abstain.
2. Skin problems are also a reason to avoid the sauna (especially if we are talking about eczema or increased oiliness).
3. An increased feeling of thirst is a direct contraindication for heating your body (despite the fact that thirst is not caused by any diseases). Not only does moisture come out along with sweat during training, but its remnants are supposed to literally evaporate! Better not.

And, of course, you should follow the “safety rules” - do not do obvious harmful things:

• women - do not visit the sauna while pregnant;
• for everyone - do not go to the bathhouse after exerting more than normal (if the workout was unusually hard or lasted more than 45 minutes).

Controversial issues

The controversial benefits of visiting a sauna after a workout are expressed in its dual effect on the body.

On the one hand, fats are actually removed from the body more intensively, and a person after a sauna can actually lose up to 300 calories. But along with fat, moisture is also removed, which threatens dehydration (stress on the kidneys and other undesirable consequences).

Here you need to listen to your body: if in the sauna after sports activities you feel better than without it, and do not experience unbearable thirst, then the sauna will be useful for you. If the impressions from the procedure are rather negative, then you should abstain from the sauna after training.

Types of water procedures and their effect on the body

Every time after an intense workout, athletes take steps to quickly recover from stress. They drink or don't drink water, close the carbohydrate window, or drink protein shakes. One of the controversial measures of influence, which, according to reviews, gives the most significant results, is considered by many to be a sauna or bathhouse.

When figuring out how to properly go to the sauna after training and whether to visit it at all, you need to understand that the opinions of doctors can be fundamentally different from the judgments of coaches or ordinary athletes. Therefore, it is very important to find out all the pros and cons of such a procedure, compare them with your own health status, as well as possible consequences. That is, it is better not to conduct such experiments without going to the doctor, so as not to develop complications that could have been avoided.

Brief Comparative Review

To understand how a sauna affects an athlete’s body after a workout, it doesn’t hurt to know that it can be not only one standard, familiar type. Currently, there are more than ten types of baths with different types of heating.

Russian bath (Turkish, wet sauna, bath with brooms)

This type is characterized by the presence of moist, hot steam that fills the entire room. This steam forms fog, the usual temperature of which reaches 42-55°C. The steam room itself is equipped with special shelves or sun loungers placed at different heights. Depending on the tolerance of the steam temperature, you can start from the lowest, where it is cool, to the highest, where it is hottest.

After a Russian bath with steaming and brooms, you can cool down using different methods. The most popular thing in the old days was diving into an ice hole or simply into a lake according to the season. Now many people are also into this kind of thing, dousing themselves with cold water or rubbing themselves with snow.

Dry sauna (Finnish, Roman, hammam, electric version)

This category of baths includes all types that involve dry rather than wet steam. At the same time, the temperature inside the room can reach a record 75-90°C. The humidity in these baths usually does not exceed fifteen percent, which is quite low. There are options that are heated using electric heating elements.

These baths are also equipped with benches and beds at different heights. On the top shelves the temperature can reach 100°C, so you need a lot of preparation to avoid getting burned. During the procedure, it is also customary to lightly pat the skin with a broom or rub it with a hard mitten made of coarse fabric or a special washcloth. Cooling can also be done using cold water or air.

Infrared bath

A relatively new invention, which is not available in every Russian city. The principle of operation of such a sauna is designed to ensure that infrared heaters, which are installed in a room lined with wood, warm not the walls or the air, but the human body itself.

This device is characterized by a lower temperature regime than the previous version. The maximum limit for safety is usually set at 45-50°C. With the help of such heating, maximum muscle relaxation is achieved, as well as significant benefits for weight loss. It is believed that such a bath will help in getting rid of cellulite, because the rays penetrate 2-4 centimeters under the deep layers of the skin. Therefore, the benefits of an infrared sauna after a workout are considered proven.

Impact on humans

A sauna is a place where you can significantly increase your body temperature, without the use of any chemicals. In this case, profuse sweating occurs. In ordinary life, people are accustomed to avoiding excess sweat, but it performs two very important functions: emergency temperature relief and removal of toxins accumulated in the body (mainly in the lipid layer). There are two types of sweat glands.

• Eccrine . They are activated by heat, as well as stress and emotional turmoil. There are more than two thousand of them in the body of each person. These glands secrete watery sweat, which, evaporating from the surface of the skin, cools it qualitatively.
• Apocrine . These glands secrete sweat containing large amounts of fats and other organic compounds. Bacteria located on the surface of the skin readily interact with this liquid, which produces an unpleasant odor. They are located in the pubic, axillary area, as well as on the scalp. During puberty, it is these glands that emit pheromones designed to attract the opposite sex.

The Institute of Physiology of the United States of America conducted a number of studies, during which it was proven that the growth of muscle mass after a sauna session slows down quite significantly, by 20-30%.

Going to the sauna - how to prepare?

Before entering the steam room, take a break after physical activity for at least 5 minutes.

You can combine this break with a shower - stand under warm water.
There is no need to use soap - it will remove the protective layer of fat from the skin (at high temperatures this can injure the skin). And finally, the main “commandment”:

Never enter the steam room while intoxicated. Beer is good only after visiting the sauna, but not before and not on time!

What's better

Based on this, it’s worth thinking about how to go to the sauna in the gym. It cannot be said with certainty that a steam room after a workout will be beneficial for the whole body. On the contrary, it can lead to adverse consequences. Therefore, it is better to take a separate day to visit the sauna for the purpose of hardening and weight loss, rather than going to take a steam bath after training.

However, when you want to visit the sauna after exercise, you should follow these tips:

1. If you feel tired and exhausted after a workout, it is recommended to first take a cool shower.
2. You cannot go to the steam room immediately after intense exercise - this can be done after 1.5-2 hours, when the pressure and heartbeat are restored.
3. After training, you need to drink about 1.5 liters of water to restore water balance in the body.
4. You cannot visit the sauna on an empty stomach, as well as on a full one - it is recommended to eat before the procedure, about an hour before it.
5. It is better to make several short visits to the steam room than one long one, which will exhaust the body and will not bring any benefit.
6. You should not go to the bathhouse if you experience discomfort during or after training, especially in the chest area.

A sauna before or after a workout is a good thing if you approach this procedure wisely. It is imperative to take into account the state of your health, since excessive stress on the body can lead to dire consequences. And you also need to remember the rule - know moderation in everything.

Going to the sauna before training?

Definitely not! And the reasons here are obvious:

1. After warming up, the muscles relax, which does not fit in with subsequent physical activity.
2. The release of endorphin (the pleasure hormone) will be in vain if you continue to strain yourself.
3. Finally, what are you going to do with lactic acid in your muscles?
4. To maintain health and increase positive emotions from playing sports, it is strongly recommended not to change the order (sequence) of procedures.

First the barbell, then the steam room - that’s the only way!
Good luck!

Rules for visiting the steam room

Since not every fitness center is equipped with an infrared sauna, not to mention a hammam, athletes have to relax in a sauna or steam bath, but in this case they need to do it correctly.

How to Get Maximum Health Benefits

If you are not new to the bathhouse, you can make several visits to the steam room, but follow this procedure:

• spend 10 minutes in the steam room;
• Rest for 10–15 minutes between sets;
• during breaks, drink a lot (weak tea, fresh juices, mineral water, tomato juice with salt);
• complete your bath procedures with a contrast shower or swim in the pool;
• After all procedures, rest for 20 minutes to allow the skin to cool down.

It is very important to comply with the last point of the requirements, since the body is hot after the sauna, and the slightest draft can undermine your health. It is also important to drink a lot, as the body dehydrates in the steam room. Neglect this requirement and dehydration may occur.

If the fitness center has an infrared sauna, then you can safely go there. But the procedures in it must also be regulated by certain rules. Before entering the sauna, take a shower to wash off the sweat from your hard work in the gym. Be sure to dry your body thoroughly with a towel so that there are no water droplets left on it that will block the passage of infrared rays. Also, you should not eat before the sauna; it is better to steam on an empty stomach.

During the procedure itself, make sure that your body is in an upright position inside the sauna. It is unacceptable to lean against panels with infrared emitters; it is important to stay at least 15-20 centimeters away from them. When the sauna warms up, you can select the appropriate treatment mode. For the first 15 minutes you won’t even feel any results, but then you will begin to sweat heavily. The maximum temperature that can be achieved in an infrared camera does not exceed 60 degrees. It is not necessary to set the maximum, sweat will already leave your body actively.

If you feel a slight burning sensation on the surface of the skin in the infrared sauna, immediately reduce the intensity of the effect on the control panel. This suggests that you have chosen the wrong regime for yourself.