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Experimental Gerontology

Volume 154, 15 October 2021, 111509
Experimental Gerontology

Review
Sauna use as a lifestyle practice to extend healthspan

Author links open overlay panelRhonda P.Patrick^aTeresa L.Johnson^b
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Highlights

*

    Sauna use mimics physiological and protective responses induced
    during exercise.

*

    Repeated sauna use optimizes stress responses via hormesis and
    heat shock proteins.

*

    Sauna use appears to reduce morbidity and mortality in a
    dose-dependent manner.

*

    Frequent sauna use may protect against cardiovascular and
    neurodegenerative disease.

*

    Sauna use provides a means of preserving muscle mass and
    countering sarcopenia.

Abstract

Sauna use, sometimes referred to as "sauna bathing," is characterized
by short-term passive exposure to high temperatures, typically
ranging from 45 degC to 100 degC (113 degF to 212 degF), depending on
modality. This exposure elicits mild hyperthermia, inducing a
thermoregulatory response involving neuroendocrine, cardiovascular,
and cytoprotective mechanisms that work in a synergistic fashion in
an attempt to maintain homeostasis. Repeated sauna use acclimates the
body to heat and optimizes the body's response to future exposures,
likely due to the biological phenomenon known as hormesis. In recent
decades, sauna bathing has emerged as a probable means to extend
healthspan, based on compelling data from observational,
interventional, and mechanistic studies. Of particular interest are
the findings from large, prospective, population-based cohort studies
of health outcomes among sauna users that identified strong
dose-dependent links between sauna use and reduced morbidity and
mortality. This review presents an overview of sauna practices;
elucidates the body's physiological response to heat stress and the
molecular mechanisms that drive the response; enumerates the myriad
health benefits associated with sauna use; and describes sauna use
concerns.

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Abbreviations

ADHD
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
BDNF
brain-derived neurotrophic factor
BPA
bisphenol A
CHF
congestive heart failure
CRP
C-reactive protein
CVD
cardiovascular disease
FOX
forkhead box protein
FOXO3
forkhead box protein O3
GLUT4
glucose transporter type 4
HRV
heart rate variability
HO-1
heme oxygenase-1
HSP
heat shock protein
IL-10
interleukin-10
IL-6
interleukin-6
KIHD
Kuopio Ischemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study
LDL
low density lipoprotein
Nrf2
nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2
PAD
peripheral artery disease
PVC
premature ventricular contraction
RH
relative humidity
SIRT1
sirtuin 1

Keywords

Cardiorespiratory fitness
Cardiovascular disease
Heat shock protein
Heat stress
Hormesis
Hyperthermia
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