The study, led by Wanda Pilch and colleagues, looked at how regular sauna bathing affects fat metabolism in young women. Twenty healthy women aged 19-21 participated in the study and used a Finnish sauna seven times over two weeks. The women were divided into two groups: one group had sauna sessions lasting 30 minutes, and the other had 40-minute sessions with a short cool-down break. Before and after each sauna, researchers measured things like heart rate, blood pressure, and levels of fat in the blood, including total cholesterol, “bad” LDL cholesterol, and “good” HDL cholesterol.
The results showed that after several sauna sessions, there were positive changes in the women’s lipid profiles. Specifically, total cholesterol and LDL (“bad” cholesterol) decreased, while HDL (“good” cholesterol) increased. These changes, particularly the increase in HDL cholesterol, suggest that regular sauna use could help improve heart health and reduce the risk of heart disease. However, the study also found that the biggest changes in the body happened during the first sauna sessions, with smaller effects in later sessions. The researchers believe that while these findings are promising, more research is needed to understand exactly how saunas influence fat metabolism and heart health in the long term.
