There are many benefits to using a sauna, one of which is to activate heat shock proteins (HSPs) and other hormetic responses in your body as a way to increase your resilience in the face of future stressors. Understanding HSPs offers a glimpse into the remarkable resilience of life. These tiny protein heroes work tirelessly behind the scenes, safeguarding our cells and ensuring our survival in a world full of challenges. Keep reading to learn how using a sauna on a regular basis can help your body experience improved health, performance, and recovery. 

Heat Shock Proteins: Your Cells’ Hidden Protectors

Have you ever wondered how life manages to thrive in such diverse environments? From scorching deserts to icy glaciers, organisms constantly face stresses that threaten their delicate molecular machinery. One fascinating line of defense against these threats comes in the form of a group of proteins called heat shock proteins (HSPs). Think of HSPs as cellular firefighters rushing to the scene of protein damage. These versatile molecules act as chaperones, guiding and assisting other proteins to fold properly, preventing them from misfolding and clumping together into harmful aggregates. HSPs essentially perform maintenance check-ups on other proteins at a cellular level to ensure their survival. 

Increasing the production of HSPs in your body generates a ton of positive effects on a biological level including: 

• Reduce free radical molecular damage throughout the body. Free radicals are unattached molecules that can damage the cells in your body’s tissues leading to long-term inflammation and degradation or even cancer
• Maintaining protein health by ensuring proteins fold correctly, preventing malfunctions and maintaining cellular health. 
• Faster muscle recovery which enables you to work out more intensely and to feel better after a gym session
• Boost immune system response which plays a key role in reducing your risk of viral infections or bacterial illnesses
• Possibly prevent the formation of neurological degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s

HSPs are proteins produced to re-stabilize, reorganize and rejuvenate intercellular order when your body experiences stressful situations like: exercise, calorie restriction, injuries or heat/cold stress. While the name “heat shock” suggests their initial discovery under high temperatures, HSPs are induced by a wide range of stressors, including: cold shock, oxidative and chemical stress, inflammation and cellular aging. These stressful situations do damage to our cells, but HSPs act immediately in overdrive to repair those cells by overcompensation. By making too many proteins, your body is left with a surplus to better endure future stressful events. 

What Happens When We’re Exposed to Heat Stress in a Sauna?

Stepping into a sauna can seem like a paradox – willingly subjecting yourself to scorching temps that would otherwise send you fleeing for shade. Exposure to heat triggers a thermoregulatory response and a symphony of physiological changes that seek to restore homeostasis in your body. As the thermometer climbs inside the sauna, your body senses the alarm bells ringing. Sweat glands ramp up, beads of perspiration form across your skin, the first line of defense in cooling you down, blood vessels near the surface dilate, sending blood rushing to your skin to dissipate heat, and your heart rate quickens, urging your circulatory system to keep up.

When you’re exposed to high temperatures your heart has to work harder to supply your body with oxygen. Your heart rate increases and there’s also an increase in plasma volume which acts as a backup source of fluid for use in sweat production. As your core temperature rises, mimicking the effects of a fever, the production of heat shock proteins is triggered, and your body releases feel-good hormones like endorphins and norepinephrine, leaving you feeling blissfully relaxed. The benefits of heat stress extend beyond the immediate experience, and regular sauna sessions have been linked to numerous health perks, including:

• Improved cardiovascular health
• Reduced muscle soreness
• Pain relief
• Enhanced mood
• Improved sleep

Regular sauna use allows your body to acclimate to the heat and helps optimize its thermoregulatory response resulting in your body being better prepared for handling heat stress in the future. Hormesis is a biological phenomenon in which a harmful stress-causing stimulus conveys a beneficial effect when given in small doses and this is exactly what occurs with regular sauna use. 

Science aside, saunas are a great way to relax and enjoy some self-care. We’re always happy any questions you might have about saunas give us a call at 970-879-4390 or contact us.