Hot and cold therapies are all the rage right now. And, if you follow the health and wellness community online, you may notice your social media feeds are filled with folks talking about ice bath benefits, influencers plunging into cold water, or building DIY backyard saunas.
But is all the buzz around heat therapy worth investing in one of the best home saunas or steam rooms?
There are benefits of elevating your body’s temperature and exposure to both dry and moist heat. But in the steam room vs sauna debate, what is the difference, and which one provides the most benefit? We’ll dive into an overview of both saunas and steam rooms, as well as go over the potential benefits of each.
Medical disclaimer: This article is intended for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for medical advice. For health advice, contact a licensed healthcare provider.
Steam Room Vs Sauna: What’s the Difference?
For the most part, saunas and steam rooms are quite similar. Both provide an enclosed space designed to generate heat for recovery, relaxation, and other benefits. However, there are a few distinct differences that set these two hydrotherapy solutions apart.
Let’s take a quick look at how each option stacks up:
| Sauna | Steam Room | |
| Heat Source | Dry heat (electric heater, wood stove, or infrared) | Moist heat (boiling water creates steam) |
| Temperature Range | 160-200º F | 100-120º F |
| Humidity Level | 10-20% | Near 100% |
| Session Duration | 15 to 20 minutes | 10 to 15 minutes |
| Potential Benefits | – Improve cardiovascular health – Enhance athletic performance – Relieve muscle soreness – Boost your mood – Improve sleep quality | – Improve cardiovascular health – Promote blood flow and circulation – Help clear congestion – Improved recovery time |
| Best For | Fitness enthusiasts who want to enhance the muscle recovery process | People looking for respiratory relief, skin benefits, and a more comfortable heat experience |
RELATED: Wet Sauna Vs Dry Sauna
What is a Steam Room?
Steam rooms are rare in private homes and are often associated with Turkish baths and public bathhouses, which still exist, but not like they once did in ancient Roman and Greek cultures. Steam rooms also typically require plumbing to a steam generator for venting steam (aka, humid air) directly into the steam room.
RELATED: Steam Room Benefits
Another issue steam rooms pose for private homes is that 100- to 120-degree temperatures and 100% humidity open the door to potential mold problems. So, even though they can be a useful muscle recovery tool, steam rooms aren’t nearly as popular as saunas for home use.
What is a Sauna?
While there are different types of saunas (wood-fired, electric, and infrared saunas, to name a few), for the purposes of this comparison, we’re going to stick to traditional saunas. These are the types of saunas with long usage histories in Nordic countries like Finland.
Traditional saunas are typically wooden, standalone structures with either a wood-burning or electric heating source that provides dry heat. While dry saunas offer hotter temperatures (ranging from 160 to 200 degrees Fahrenheit) and lower humidity levels (about 20%), you can typically pour water over hot rocks placed on or above the heating element. This can temporarily increase the humidity to your personal preference.
RELATED: Ultimate Sauna Guide
Benefits of Sauna Sessions
In Nordic cultures, sauna use is known to have a multitude of wellness benefits, including relief from sore muscles, better sleep, weight loss, detox from heavy metals, and relief from stiff joints.
There are even studies that show sauna rooms can help improve cardiovascular health and reduce the risk of heart disease. Let’s dive into the top benefits of dry heat therapy:
May Increase Blood Circulation
When you enter a sauna (or steam room, for that matter) with elevated temperatures, your core body temperature rises, and circulation to the skin increases. According to a Mayo Clinic review1, this happens because your blood vessels expand for more efficient blood flow to your skin, which increases cardiac output while simultaneously decreasing blood flow to internal organs.
The same review notes that the increased blood flow to your skin can also increase how much you sweat, which can lead to a reduction in your blood pressure and an uptick in your heart rate. Increased blood flow to your skin can also generally help with skin health2, seeing as it’s the largest organ of your body.
RELATED: Does Cardio Lower Blood Pressure?
May Help Improve Cardiovascular Health
Speaking of increased heart rate, a 2015 study published by JAMA Internal Medicine3 found that frequent sauna use and sauna bathing is associated with a reduced risk of sudden cardiac death, fatal coronary heart disease, and fatal cardiovascular disease.
If you’re wondering how regular sauna sessions can benefit heart health, it’s actually pretty simple: Your heart rate increases4 in a hot environment, similar to how it responds to moderate cardiovascular exercise. Your heart is like any other muscle you work at the gym; it needs some amount of stress to maintain its strength.
GGR expert panelist Michael Masi, doctor of physical therapy (DPT) and strength coach, notes that saunas and steam rooms provide many of the same benefits as exercise.
“These outcomes have been very well established as adaptations to physical activity. So, in my line of work as a strength coach and physical therapist, I know I can achieve the same result with movement and exercise prescription,” Michael says.
RELATED: Best Cardiovascular Exercises
May Help Lower Blood Pressure
As stated earlier, your blood flow naturally increases to your skin when sauna bathing, which can lead to more sweating, which typically reduces your blood pressure and increases your heart rate.
While that response may sound temporary, a small study published by Complementary Therapies in Medicine5 tested the blood pressure of 19 participants before, during, and after sauna bathing. The study found that people’s heart rates and blood pressure increased while in the sauna, but were lower than their original baseline when tested 30 minutes after the sauna.
It’s worth noting, though, that this study was done on healthy subjects; not folks with high blood pressure, heart disease, or chronic illness.
May Improve Muscle Recovery
While there are many benefits of sauna after workout (including just to relax for your mental health), one of the main benefits is reduced muscle soreness and recovery assistance.
A 2015 study published by Scandinavian Journal of Clinical and Laboratory Investigation6 found that a single use of a traditional Finnish sauna after aerobic exercise reduced free radicals (aka, oxidative stress). When you have too much oxidative stress, it can damage the body’s cells and proteins, thus reducing the rate of recovery from strenuous exercise.
In addition to traditional saunas with heated rocks, one small study7 found that infrared sauna bathing more deeply penetrated heat into the body (nearly 4 centimeters deep into fat tissue and neuromuscular systems under the skin).
The study also found that the infrared lights were more helpful than traditional saunas for muscle recovery and reducing soreness after resistance training.
Benefits of Steam Room Sessions
Moist heat from a steam room session has also shown to improve muscle recovery8, increase blood circulation9, and improve cardiovascular health10. While there is more research supporting traditional dry heat, here are a few additional benefits to steam rooms:
May Help Clear Congestion
Humid environments are often used as an at-home remedy for relieving sinus pressure from the common cold, sinusitis, or allergies. One 2016 study11 found that steam inhalation can reduce headaches from sinus pressure and promote better breathing with loosened mucous membranes.
The same study notes that nasal irrigation is the most effective method for recurring sinus symptoms.
May Be More Effective in Reducing DOMS
In the sections above, I covered how Finnish saunas reduce free radicals, which can lead to better recovery. I also cited a study stating that infrared saunas penetrated heat more deeply into the skin, muscle, and fat tissues.
That said, there is a study published by the Journal of Clinical Medicine Research8 that says both dry and moist heat can be effective at combating delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) from exercise. This study suggests that moist heat penetrates even deeper into muscle and fat tissue, which can allow you to get the same result in less time.
Safety Considerations for Steam Rooms and Saunas
While you can reap valuable rewards, there are also potential risks to consider when using a sauna or steam room. Prioritize your safety by exercising the following precautionary measures:
- Limit your time: Most sauna guidelines recommend staying in the sauna for about 15 to 20 minutes, though you can push it a bit further if you’re accustomed to this setting. However, steam room sessions should be shorter (no more than 15 minutes) due to the high-humidity environment.
- Break your session into intervals: If you want to sauna bathe for an extended period, take a cool-off period every 15 minutes to allow your body to recalibrate. Exit the sauna and allow your body temperature to drop before re-entering. This is also a good time to rehydrate.
- Avoid the temptation to exercise: While some gentle stretching can be fine, we do not recommend exercising in a sauna or steam room. Doing so can further increase your sweat rate and heart rate, and may cause you to become dizzy or lightheaded. If you ever experience these sensations, immediately exit the sauna or steam room, or lower the set temperature.
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of water before, during, and after your sauna or steam room session. Adding your favorite electrolyte powder to your beverage can also help replenish fluids and minerals lost through sweat.
RELATED: Sauna Etiquette
Steam Room Vs Sauna: Final Thoughts
While steam rooms and saunas have plenty of potential benefits, there is more research on sauna use, overall. And with the fact that saunas are more common and less humid, our experts agree that saunas make more sense for an at-home hot therapy option.
Here is summary of what we know about heat therapy, in general:
- May help increase blood circulation
- May aid in muscle recovery from workouts
- Has potential to help improve heart health and reduce blood pressure
Medical disclaimer: This article is intended for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for medical advice. For health advice, contact a licensed healthcare provider.
Steam Room Vs Sauna: FAQs
Which is better: a steam room or a sauna?
While both have benefits, traditional dry saunas are more accessible for at-home use and are generally more common in spas and gyms. Dry saunas also don’t pose as much of a threat for mold growth due to lower humidity levels.
Is a sauna or steam room better for weight loss?
While the higher heat of a traditional dry sauna will cause you to sweat more and temporarily lose water weight, this will be mitigated once you rehydrate. Sustainable fat loss comes from maintaining a calorie deficit and following a well-structured workout routine. So, don’t rely on a sauna or a steam room as your primary weight loss tool.
Should you use a sauna or steam room every day?
We recommend beginners start with two to three sauna or steam room sessions per week before increasing the frequency. Start with shorter durations (no more than 15 minutes) to gauge how your body responds. Pay attention to how you feel, and make sure to stay hydrated before, during, and after your session.
References
- Jari A. Laukkanen, MD, PhD; Tanjaniina Laukkanen, MSc; and Setor K. Kunutsor, MD, PhD. Cardiovascular and Other Health Benefits of Sauna Bathing: A Review of the Evidence. Mayo Clinic Proceedings. August 2018.
- Cable NT. Unlocking the secrets of skin blood flow. J Physiol. 2006;572(Pt 3):613. doi:10.1113/jphysiol.2006.109207
- Laukkanen T, Khan H, Zaccardi F, Laukkanen JA. Association Between Sauna Bathing and Fatal Cardiovascular and All-Cause Mortality Events. JAMA Intern Med. 2015;175(4):542–548. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2014.8187
- Taggart P, Parkinson P, Carruthers M. Cardiac responses to thermal, physical, and emotional stress. Br Med J. 1972;3(5818):71-76. doi:10.1136/bmj.3.5818.71
- Ketelhut S, Ketelhut RG. The blood pressure and heart rate during sauna bath correspond to cardiac responses during submaximal dynamic exercise. Complement Ther Med. 2019;44:218-222. doi:10.1016/j.ctim.2019.05.002
- Sutkowy P, Woźniak A, Boraczyński T, Mila-Kierzenkowska C, Boraczyński M. The effect of a single Finnish sauna bath after aerobic exercise on the oxidative status in healthy men. Scand J Clin Lab Invest. 2014;74(2):89-94. doi:10.3109/00365513.2013.860616
- Mero A, Tornberg J, Mäntykoski M, Puurtinen R. Effects of far-infrared sauna bathing on recovery from strength and endurance training sessions in men. Springerplus. 2015;4:321. Published 2015 Jul 7. doi:10.1186/s40064-015-1093-5
- Petrofsky J, Berk L, Bains G, et al. Moist heat or dry heat for delayed onset muscle soreness. J Clin Med Res. 2013;5(6):416-425. doi:10.4021/jocmr1521w
- Lohman EB 3rd, Sackiriyas KS, Bains GS, et al. A comparison of whole body vibration and moist heat on lower extremity skin temperature and skin blood flow in healthy older individuals. Med Sci Monit. 2012;18(7):CR415-CR424. doi:10.12659/msm.88320
- M. Pandiaraja, A. Vanitha, K. Maheshkumar, V. Venugopal, S. Poonguzhali, L. Radhika, N. Manavalan. Effect of the steam bath on resting cardiovascular parameters in healthy volunteers. Advances in Integrative Medicine. Volume 8, Issue 3. 2021.
- P. Little, B. Stuart, M. Mullee, T. Thomas, S. Johnson, G. Leydon, D. Rabago, S. Richards-Hall, I. Williamson, G. Yao, J. Raftery, S. Zhu, M. Moore. Effectiveness of steam inhalation and nasal irrigation for chronic or recurrent sinus symptoms in primary care: a pragmatic randomized controlled trial. CMAJ September 20, 2016 188 (13) 940-949; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.160362
