Infrared sauna is a powerful biohacking tool with many health benefits, tapping into the essence of biohacking – cellular rejuvenation, better health, and a longer lifespan. Take control to become the absolute best version of yourself.
– For many biohackers, sauna, and especially infrared sauna, is an extremely important tool for optimizing health to the fullest, says Siw Hansson Kaulbach, founder of Radiant Health.
She has noticed that the community in Norway has grown in recent years.
– You take health and wellness from the general level to up here, says Siw, raising her hand a good distance from the edge of the table we are sitting at in one of her favorite places, Oslo Raw.
Experimenting on one person – herself
Biohacking primarily involves methods and strategies to hack the body's biological systems – to optimize its functions. Based on science, one experiments on one person – oneself. Various technologies are used to measure effect.
While some call themselves "hobby-hackers," others go "all in" and use more extreme strategies and methods in the pursuit of perfection and eternal life.
Which strategies and methods one uses depends on the goal. Methods can range from intermittent fasting, supplements, diet, exercise, contrast therapy with cold and heat, meditation, light therapy, and using a heart rate monitor – to blood sugar measurement, gene therapy, hyperbaric chambers, stem cell therapy, and blood transfusions from younger people.
One of the world's best football players, Erling Braut Haaland, has become a well-known biohacker. When he guested Logan Paul's podcast, he talked about the measures he takes, small steps every day, for optimal recovery and performance.
– Biomechanical movement and sleep are important, he says, adding that he puts on blue light glasses three hours before bedtime, sleeps with tape over his mouth, takes saunas, steam baths, and ice baths.
Otherwise, he has previously mentioned clean eating and meditation.
The measures are individually tailored. The professional football player emphasizes that what works for him may not have the same effect on others.
Infrared sauna, heat shock proteins and autophagy
"The Father of Biohacking," Dave Asprey, swears by infrared sauna, which he has used regularly since 1997, mainly for detox. At the time, he was ill with fatigue, Lyme disease, and mold toxicity. Today, infrared sauna is one of the fundamental things he uses to stay healthy.
Read: Infrared sauna and detox. Can you detoxify the body through sweating?
He is particularly interested in heat shock proteins, which increase when you take a sauna, and how these can affect autophagy. He is concerned with biohacks that "give him his time back."
Autophagy – which is perhaps best known in connection with intermittent fasting to strengthen cell renewal – removes hazardous waste, also called cellular debris, such as damaged cell parts or proteins that have clumped together.
Several diseases are caused by autophagy not functioning as it should. By removing cellular debris, one can prevent these diseases from occurring. Strengthening autophagy can thus contribute to, among other things, delaying aging, improving health, and preventing disease.
Until relatively recently, many of the cellular and molecular mechanisms surrounding the therapeutic benefits of heat therapy have been poorly understood, but studies suggest that central to heat treatment is the cellular process of autophagy.
Other things that stimulate autophagy are sleep, stress reduction, and physical activity – and that being said – it is well known that sauna sessions can both destress the body, contribute to better sleep, and initiate many of the same processes as light exercise – minus building muscle.
There is a lot of good health in a sauna, including:
– Detox
– Effective recovery
– Improved cardiovascular health
– Strengthened immune system
– Pain relief and inflammation
– Reduced risk of all-cause mortality in a dose-dependent manner.
Read: Infrared sauna gives me better recovery.
Simple hacks have become a lifestyle
The founder of Radiant Health is personally interested in biohacking. It came naturally at the start of her own health journey when she experienced health challenges. By "hacking" her own biology, she found her way.
– I tested many things, like functional medicine, gene therapy, raw food, and apitherapy, she says, laughing, before adding that she tried a lot.
– Infrared sauna, various supplements, herbs, and clean food became some of the things I've put together that work for me, my health, and my everyday life. I'll probably never be able to become completely extreme, but that's subjective, she says thoughtfully, as she started her day by drinking two bunches of juiced organic celery.
– Some might find that excessive. I filter the water in the tap, and I often make myself a detox smoothie, but for me, that's not extreme.
It has become a lifestyle.
– But I will never go to what I consider the absolute extreme because my lifestyle with work and family life doesn't allow it. I find Biohacking Girls to be a great inspiration.
Infrared sauna is the founder's main hack
When the founder talks to customers, she emphasizes that small changes in everyday life can have a big impact.
– You don't have to do everything at once. If you want to take better care of your health and you don't like or can't exercise, an IR sauna can be a good place to start.
Infrared sauna is an "easy tool" for many health benefits. If you have a portable sauna at home, either a sitting or lying sauna, it's easy to do something good for yourself.
– If you are untrained, it's easy to start with heat therapy, and then later complement it with other therapies, exercise, aids, or supplements to improve your health. I've heard some say that the improvement you experience from taking a sauna motivates you to want to take other steps later.
Infrared sauna is Siw's main hack
– Don't stress about everything around it. Start with a sauna, and then you can eventually make the detoxification process easier by combining antioxidants, binders, and such things over time.
In Radiant Health's assortment, you will also find the IR Sauna Blanket LumaRed, where you can enjoy the benefits of near and far infrared heat, combined with red light and jade stones.
Read: Red light therapy and infrared heat therapy
This article is intended as interesting reading, not medical advice.
Text: Trine Dahlman
