When it comes to endurance, athletes are not the only ones who can benefit. Every person uses their muscles to perform a certain action like walking, standing, and lifting. These are repetitive motions where muscles lengthen and contract. In order to do it over long periods and not get tired, a person needs muscular endurance. This means that improving the capabilities of muscles can help with everyday activities, sports and exercise.

Endurance is gained by training the muscles to perform certain tasks for longer periods. Weight lifting and exercise are the primary methods with an emphasis on higher repetitions rather than trying to lift as much as possible. However, incorporating infrared therapy with your exercise routine can also help to increase endurance, here is how.

Endurance Is Vital For Athletes

Before discussing the benefits of infrared therapy, it's important to better understand the role of endurance. For a regular person, it makes chores and other everyday tasks easier like gardening, carrying a child or cleaning. It also boosts professional performance, especially if the job requires physical exertion like construction. However, athletes are another type of person who depends on endurance to help them be the best at what they do.

Athletes use their muscles, bones, and joints to a greater extent which brings more pressure to the whole body and can lead to injuries. But building athletic endurance can reduce the possibility of serious injuries from overuse of muscles and bring greater stamina to withstand physical exertion. In turn, they can achieve extraordinary results, win championships and bring glory to their teams. Professional athletes train every day and stay in shape even when the competition season is over [1]. It becomes part of their lifestyle.

How Infrared Therapy Helps Endurance

Infrared light stimulates the cells so the body can create more energy. Also referred to as the Photobiomodulation Therapy, this method can reduce pain, repair tissue and lower inflammation. This enhanced performance can be crucial for athletes no matter if they’re professionals or people who like to stay in shape or be better at their daily jobs.

Based on the study from the University of Nove de Julho in São Paulo, Brazil, the use of this type of treatment accelerated the recovery of twelve rugby players and improved their performance [2].Moreover, infrared therapy can help the body create antioxidants that reduce oxidative stress and boost the production of proteins responsible for protection from stress [3]. Additionally, it may improve circulation and bring more oxygen to the tissue, as well as other nutrients that can speed up the healing.

Other benefits of infrared saunas may include relaxation, better sleep, weight loss and can help with chronic fatigue syndrome [4]. Since it can relieve joint pain, people with arthritis may see benefits from using infrared saunas [5].All these plus sides can improve the overall conditions of the body and focus on the tasks at hand, leading to higher endurance. A well-rested, fitter and more focused person can achieve better athletic results or simply enhance their performance on everyday tasks.

Incorporating Infrared Saunas Therapeutically

The concept of the sauna has been used for a long time as a means to detoxify and relax. They can help remove toxins from the body by inducing sweat and other things beneficial for the body. According to the study by the Centre of Excellence for Applied Sport Science Research in Brisbane, Australia, heat in saunas increases plasma volume [6].This leads to more cardiac output which gives higher endurance and consequently improves physical performance in sport activities.

Unlike traditional saunas that use extreme heat to make people sweat, infrared saunas raise the temperature of the body internally. They accomplish this by using infrared light to penetrate body and induce sweating. With infrared panels positioned around a person, infrared saunas heat the body,while the room temperature gets only slightly elevated.This makes them more comfortable to use and people can spend longer periods inside the sauna cabin. Since infrared therapy has proven health benefits like speeding up muscular healing, relieving pain and reducing cardiovascular risk factors, it can bring more benefits than a traditional sauna.

Harvesting The Benefits

There are no reports on the negative effects of the infrared therapy, but it's recommended to take the same precautions as you would with a traditional sauna [7]. The benefits are available for anyone no matter if they’re a professional athlete or play sports recreationally. Moreover, this can be a good resource for those with certain medical conditions like elevated blood pressure, obesity, and arthritis to improve their health. It’s also a nice way to relax and de-stress after a long day.

References:

[1]Read, Andrew.“4 Lessons Everyday Athletes Can Learn From Professional Athletes.” Breakingmuscles.org, Breaking Muscles, https://breakingmuscle.com/fitness/4-lessons-everyday-athletes-can-learn-from-professional-athletes.

[2] Pinto HD, Vanin AA, et al. (2016). “Photobiomodulation Therapy Improves Performance And Accelerates Recovery Of High-Level Rugby Players In Field Test: A Randomized, Crossover, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Study.” Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, National Center for Biotechnology Information, December 2016, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27050245.

[3]Avni D, Levkovitz S, et al. (2015). “Protection of skeletal muscles from ischemic injury: low-level laser therapy increases antioxidant activity.” Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, National Center for Biotechnology Information, June 2005, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15954814.

[4]Soejima Y1, Munemoto T, et all. (2015).“Effects of Waon therapy on chronic fatigue syndrome: a pilot study.”Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2015, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25748743.

[5]Lindberg, Sara. “Is an Infrared Sauna Better Than a Traditional Sauna?”healthline.com, Healthline, May 2018, https://www.healthline.com/health/infrared-sauna-benefits#1.

[6] Stanley J, Halliday A, et all. (2015). “Effect of sauna-based heat acclimation on plasma volume and heart rate variability.”Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, National Center for Biotechnology Information, April 2015, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25432420.

[7]Brent A. Bauer, M.D.“What is an infrared sauna? Does it have health benefits?”mayoclinic.org, The Mayo Clinic, June 2017, https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/consumer-health/expert-answers/infrared-sauna/faq-20057954.