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  • I swim in the pool for 15 min, like 600 meters, then go to sauna, and do cold showers in between. Create optimal 50 minute session by Huberman

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    Optimal 50-Minute Session with Swimming, Sauna, and Cold Showers

    By Dr. Andrew Huberman

    1. Start with Swimming (15 minutes)

      • Swim continuously for 15 minutes to elevate heart rate and prepare the body for heat and cold exposure.

    2. Sauna Session 1 (20 minutes)

      • Enter the sauna and stay in for 20 minutes. This session will help to relax muscles and initiate hormonal benefits, such as boosting growth hormone which is beneficial for metabolism and recovery 1 2.

    3. Cold Shower 1 (3 minutes)

    4. Sauna Session 2 (10 minutes)

      • Return to the sauna for an additional 10 minutes. This helps to maintain the benefits accrued from the earlier session and further assists in muscle relaxation and heat adaptation 2 5.

    5. Cold Shower 2 (1 minute)

      • Take another brief cold shower for 1 minute to enhance alertness and end the session effectively. This triggers a thermogenic response and increases metabolism 3 1.

    Key Considerations:

    • End on Cold: Dr. Andrew Huberman strongly advises ending on cold exposure as it helps to wake you up and increases metabolic activity by naturally heating up your body 3 1.
    • Natural Warming: After each cold exposure, allow your body to warm up naturally for about 10 minutes to maximize the benefits of thermogenic response 1.

    By structuring your session in this way, you can optimize both the physiological and mental benefits derived from combined heat and cold exposure, along with the fitness benefits of swimming.

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  • Why first sauna is so long?

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    The longer duration of the initial sauna session serves several key purposes beneficial to health and recovery:

    1. Metabolic Activation: The extended time in the sauna significantly activates the metabolic pathways, enhancing the body's ability to handle heat. This stimulates an increase in brown fat, aiding thermogenesis and improving mitochondrial function 1 2.

    2. Immune System Boost: Staying longer initially helps trigger a significant increase in leukocyte count, enhancing the body's innate immune response. This effect is observed primarily after a prolonged and initial intensive exposure 3 4.

    3. Endocrine Effects: Longer initial exposure increases growth hormone levels significantly, vital for recovery and muscle repair. Studies show up to a 16-fold increase in growth hormone after a long initial sauna session, although this effect diminishes with frequent exposure 5 6.

    4. Cardiovascular Benefits: Regular, prolonged heat exposure reduces the likelihood of cardiovascular events. Longer sessions initially can maximize these benefits by promoting better heart health and improving heat tolerance over time 4 7.

    To sum up, initiating with a longer sauna session helps set a strong foundation for subsequent benefits both through metabolic activations and immune response enhancements, as described by .

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  • So what is the range?

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    The recommended range for initial sauna sessions varies based on the desired effects and personal tolerance. Here are the key guidelines:

    1. Temperature Range: 80 to 100 degrees Celsius (176 to 212 degrees Fahrenheit) 1.
    2. Duration: Typically, individual sessions range from 5 to 20 minutes. If aiming for maximum growth hormone release, longer durations around 30 minutes can be beneficial, needing 2 hours total but spaced out 2 3.

    Regular use twice or more weekly can substantially benefit cardiovascular health and reduce all-cause mortality 1. For general health, around 1 hour per week split into 3 sessions is recommended 2.

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