Infrared sauna therapy heats the body directly rather than simply warming the air, it raises the core body temperature and produces a deep, detoxifying sweat at the cellular level, where most toxins reside. Infrared also aids in blood pressure reduction & weight loss, burning up to 600 calories in one 40 minute session!
This sauna provides a much milder temperature environment– between 120 to 150 degrees F than a traditional sauna. Additionally, the light of infrared saunas travels much deeper into the body, meaning they are to cause a more vigorous sweat, despite the lower (and more comfortable) temperature. Another plus is the fact the head does not get heated so it is more comfortable
Infrared waves can penetrate the skin surface to a depth of about 6 cm. This result in a deep sweat normally attained through prolonged periods of rigorous exercise. Underlying toxins may be exuded from the deep sebaceous glands as well as the normal sweat glands. This leads to deep cellular detoxification and has numerous health benefits.
The textbook of Medical Physiology, tenth edition, by Guyton & Hall, states: normal, unacclimatized person can seldom produce more than about 1 liter of sweat per hour. When this person is exposed to hot weather for 1 to 6 weeks, he or she begins to sweat more profusely, often increasing maximum sweat production to as much as 2 to 3 liter per hour”. This is one of the reasons that one should acclimatize themselves when using a sauna and start off using a low heat setting for a short duration or time exposure.
Why Is Sweating Good for You?
Perspiration or sweat production may also have another major benefit. The textbook of medical physiology also states, “When water evaporates from the body surface, 0.58 Calorie (kilocalorie) of heat is lost for each gram of water perspiration, that evaporates.”
The question is then asked, what happens when a person uses a sauna and perspires or sweats at the rate of 1 liter per hour? Perspiring or sweating 1 liter of sweat in 1 hour would calculate to a Calories burned per hour heat loss rate of 580.
Stimulation of the cardiovascular system takes place when a sauna is used. The average pulse rate of 75 beats per minute may increase to between 100/150 beats per minute during a 20-minute sauna session. The amount of increase is dependent on the temperature the sauna has been set at. As the pulse beat increases blood circulation increases but blood pressure does not necessarily increase, in fact blood pressure may even go down, especially in a healthy person. The reason for this is that the far infrared energy or heat has caused the tiny blood vessels in the skin to expand, thus accommodating the increased blood flow.