Bath and sauna: what is the health benefits?

Baths refer to one of the methods of hydrotherapy. The essence of the method is the effect of high temperature on the surface of the body and the respiratory system. The action of baths is aimed at eliminating the functional shifts in the body (in particular, increasing the reserves of the cardiorespiratory system, microcirculation, immune reactivity).

[1], [2], [3], [4], [5]

Types of baths

• Russian sauna. The air of the steam room is saturated with water vapor forming fog; air temperature 40-50 ° С.
• The Roman bath is heated by dry hot air, which is brought to the floor or to the holes in the walls.
• Turkish (Arabian) bath. The air temperature in the steam room is 40-50 ° C, the humidity is regulated by heating the water in the boilers.
• Finnish sauna (sauna). The air temperature is 70-100 ° С, the temperature difference at the floor and ceiling is 60 ° С, relative humidity 10-15%.

Dosed contrast effects of hyperthermal and cold stimuli stimulate the activity of thermoregulatory mechanisms that improves the adaptation of the organism to changes in external temperature.

Moderate hyperthermia causes excessive sweating, which is 200-2100 ml. Since then, ions of potassium, sodium, chlorine, magnesium, iron are released. Losses of water, ions, lactic acid, urea and amino acids are individual.

Lowering body weight under the influence of sauna, associated mainly with the loss of fluid, used to dehydrate the body with hydrophilia, obesity and to reduce body weight in athletes. Single exposure to the sauna increases the basal metabolism by an average of 20%, this effect persists for 60 min.

The alternating effect of heat and cold trains the autonomic nervous system. At the beginning of the procedure, the tone of the parasympathetic department rises, and with a rise in body temperature, the sympathetic department. After cooling after a while, the trophotropic phase again begins, i. E. The predominance of the tone of the parasymatic nervous system. Thus, both parts of the autonomic nervous system are activated, which ultimately improves the adaptive capacity of the body. The stimulating effect of the sauna on the endocrine glands is widely recognized: after the sauna there are changes in the content of adrenocorticotropic hormone, levels of growth hormone and luteinizing hormone increase, but the content of thyroid-stimulating hormone does not change. In healthy people, after the sauna, the activity of renin plasma, angiotensin II, aldosterone, growth hormone and androstenedione increases.

Changes in the function of the cardiovascular system are considered a reaction to heat stress. The high temperature of the sauna leads to dilatation of cutaneous arterioles, arteriovenous anastomoses and a decrease in the overall peripheral vascular resistance. Systolic pressure in some cases, especially in the elderly, increases, sometimes it does not change or decreases. The diastolic pressure is always reduced.

Health Effects of the Sauna

The anti-stress and sedative effect of the sauna is noted. The main motive for visiting the sauna in 86% of people is emotional and psychic relaxation. The sauna evokes a feeling of mental comfort, relaxation, reduced excitability and improved sleep. On the EEG during the night sleep, an increase in the phase of deep sleep to 45%, a decrease in the period of falling asleep. The weakening of mental stress is accompanied by a decrease in muscle tension, which is important in the rehabilitation of patients with borderline mental disorders.