Northwest Ohio has a serious running community. There are long runs on the University Parks Trail, weekly group runs and a spring full of training for the Glass City Marathon. More runners are adding a sauna to their routine. Here’s what the research says and how to do it right.
Short answer: A sauna after an easy or long run can be a relaxing, effective part of recovery, as long as you rehydrate first, keep rounds short (10–15 minutes) and skip it if you feel lightheaded or overheated.
What the research says
It may build endurance
In a small study, six male runners took a roughly 30-minute sauna after training, several times a week for three weeks. Their time to exhaustion improved by 32%, which the researchers estimated equals about a 1.9% faster time trial. Their blood plasma volume also rose about 7%, which may help explain the gain. It’s a tiny study, but it’s a big reason endurance athletes started paying attention.
Scoon GS, et al. J Sci Med Sport, 2007. PubMed
Fitness and sauna work together
In a long-term Finnish study, men who were both fit and frequent sauna users had the lowest cardiovascular death rates, lower than with either habit alone. Sauna isn’t a substitute for training, but the two make a good pair.
Kunutsor SK, et al. Annals of Medicine, 2018. PubMed
Cold water can ease soreness
Cold-water immersion can modestly reduce muscle soreness after hard efforts compared with resting. Studies point to water around 50–59°F. For runners, a cold plunge after a long run or race is one of the better-supported recovery tools.
Machado AF, et al. Sports Med, 2016. PubMed
A simple post-run sauna routine
- Rehydrate first. Drink water (and electrolytes after a long run) before you get in. You’re already down fluid.
- Cool down and change. Walk it out for a few minutes and get out of sweaty gear.
- Round 1: 8–12 minutes. Sit on a lower bench if you’re new or the run was hard.
- Cool off: 3–5 minutes. Fresh air, a cool shower or a short cold plunge (30 seconds to 2 minutes).
- Round 2 (optional): 10–15 minutes. Then cool off again and drink more water.
When to skip the sauna
- Right after a race or hot-weather run if you feel dizzy, nauseous or can’t stop sweating. Cool down and rehydrate instead.
- If you’ve had alcohol.
- If you have a heart condition, blood-pressure issues or take related medication, unless your doctor has cleared you.
Lifting too? Time your cold plunge
If strength training is part of your plan, note that several studies found cold-water immersion right after lifting can reduce muscle and strength gains over time. Save the plunge for after runs, or wait a few hours after lifting.
Roberts LA, et al. J Physiol, 2015 (PubMed); Piñero A, et al. Eur J Sport Sci, 2024 (PMC)
Bring the sauna to your run club
We recently brought our wood-fired sauna out for a group run with Run with Christ Toledo in Maumee. Post-run sauna rounds turned a cold morning into a celebration. If you lead a run club, gym or team in the Toledo area, we’d love to set up at your next run. See event options or ask about your group.
This guide is general education, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor before using a sauna or cold plunge if you have a medical condition.