Infrared Sauna Benefits: What the Research Actually Shows

Infrared saunas get sold on a long list of promises: detox, weight loss, glowing skin, a faster metabolism. Most of those don't hold up. A shorter list does, and for anyone who trains, the useful part is how an infrared session affects muscle soreness and recovery.

Here's what the research found, including the studies where nothing happened.

How infrared differs from a normal sauna

A traditional Finnish sauna heats the air to 80°C to 90°C, and the hot air heats you. An infrared sauna uses panels that emit infrared light, which warms your skin and tissues more directly, so the air can stay at a cooler 45°C to 65°C. That lower air temperature is why many people find infrared easier to sit in for longer.

It doesn't mean infrared is weak. In a 2026 study, 12 adults sat in a far infrared sauna at 65°C for 45 minutes: core temperature rose by 1.4°C, heart rate climbed from about 74 to 153 bpm, and they sweated around 1.4 litres an hour (far infrared sauna at 65°C). That's a real physiological load, closer to steady exercise than to sitting in a warm bath.

The benefits with decent evidence

Less muscle soreness after lifting

This is the strongest result for people who train. In a randomised crossover trial, 16 basketball players did a hard strength and plyometric session, then either rested for 20 minutes or sat in an infrared sauna at about 43°C. After the sauna, they reported less soreness and better perceived recovery, and their jump height held up better the next morning (infrared sauna after resistance training).

Some help after endurance sessions

A 2015 Finnish study had 10 active men do either a strength session or a maximal endurance run, then 30 minutes in a far infrared sauna at 35°C to 50°C. After the strength session, the sauna made no measurable difference to recovery. After the endurance session, jump performance was better 30 minutes later than with no sauna (far infrared sauna and recovery). Note the contradiction with the basketball study on strength work; small trials often disagree.

Relaxation

The 2015 Finnish researchers described far infrared bathing as pleasant and relaxing, and that isn't trivial. If a 30 minute sauna replaces scrolling your phone before bed, that's a win in itself.

Where the evidence is thin

A 2025 systematic review pulled together 14 trials with 194 participants on heat after exercise, covering both saunas and hot baths. The acute studies gave uncertain, mixed results, and the review didn't find strong evidence that post-exercise heat reliably speeds recovery of maximal performance (post-exercise heat systematic review). So treat infrared as a soreness and comfort tool, not a performance booster.

The other popular claims fare worse:

• Detox. Your liver and kidneys handle this. Sweat is mostly water and salt.
• Weight loss. You can lose half a kilo or more in a session, and it all comes back when you drink.
• Burning calories like a workout. Your heart rate rises, but you aren't doing muscular work, so the calorie cost is far below exercise.

How to use an infrared sauna for recovery

1. Use it after training, not before. Heat before a session raises your core temperature and tends to blunt performance.
2. Start short. 15 to 20 minutes for the first few sessions, then build to 30 to 45.
3. Hydrate. Drink 500ml of water before and after. Weigh yourself before and after a few sessions if you want to know your sweat rate.
4. Cool down gradually. Sit at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes, or take a lukewarm shower.
5. Aim for 2 to 4 sessions a week. That's enough to feel the benefit without it eating your evenings.

Our sauna after workout guide goes deeper on timing around strength days, and if you're choosing between heat types, see sauna vs steam room.

Who should be careful

Check with your GP before using any sauna if you're pregnant, have a heart condition, have low blood pressure or take blood pressure medication. The heart rate and blood pressure changes in the 65°C study above are exactly why. Never combine a sauna with alcohol, and skip it if you're ill or already dehydrated.

Getting one at home

You don't need a £2,000 timber cabin. A portable infrared tent like the CONLONS infrared sauna reaches about 60°C and keeps your whole body inside, while the SereneLife infrared tent leaves your head out, which some people prefer. Our best home sauna UK guide compares tents, blankets and cabins. If you're building a wider recovery routine, red light therapy is the other heat-and-light option people ask about, with its own, patchier evidence base.

Recommended reads

1. CONLONS infrared sauna tent review
2. The best home sauna in the UK
3. Sauna after a workout: how to do it properly
4. Sauna vs steam room