From Saunas to Heating Pads: When Heat is Your Friend and Not Your Foe

Everyone who ventures outdoors in South Florida – or anyone in the U.S. during the current wave of record-high temperatures – fully understands how heat can be your enemy, especially if you are dehydrated.

But the heat can be a good friend to professional athletes, as well as weekend warriors and anyone who is regularly active in sports or exercise routines. For example, heat therapy via heated pads that are applied at the proper time, and without overdoing it, can help reduce inflammation from sore or strained muscles. Hot jacuzzies are also popular treatments for relaxing and rejuvenating the body.

And now saunas, which have been around for centuries in various forms, are becoming trendy again. A sauna is a room in which people hope to relax in dry heat, usually set at temperatures as high as 150-175 degrees (F). They are promoted with the promise of health benefits like “detoxification,” heart health, increased metabolism and recovery from sore muscles and joints.

However, precautions must be taken – and anyone with underlying health issues should consult with their doctor before trying a session in one of these rooms.

Maria Kyriacou, M.D., a primary care sports medicine physician at Baptist Health Orthopedic Care.

For more on the benefits of heat – and necessary precautions – listen to the new Baptist HealthTalk podcast: When Heat is Your Friend and Not Your Foe. Willard Shepard, Emmy award-winning journalist, is the host. The guests are: Maria Kyriacou, M.D., a primary care sports medicine physician with Baptist Health Orthopedic Care; and Leo Huynh, D.O., chief of Emergency Medicine at Baptist Health Baptist Hospital.

“Yes, heat can be your friend, but it can certainly be a foe,” explains Dr. Kyriacou. “When it comes to our athletes, you hear a lot of them going into the saunas or a jacuzzi versus the cold water. One of the benefits that we have when it comes to temporary effects from heat is that it does increase your circulation. In some sense, it almost feels like you're exercising. So, you're increasing your heart rate and you're increasing your circulation, which is beneficial in terms of the healing process to the muscles when you've had an intense activity.”

The heat is also increasing the release of oxygen from the red blood cells, and “that allows for proper healing of muscles and allows for the removal of this lactic acid that you’ve build up,” adds Dr. Kyriacou. “The muscles are relaxing.”

But if you are new to saunas or hot jacuzzies, caution and moderation are of utmost importance, stresses Dr. Huynh. The use of saunas – in moderation – definitely has benefits, he says.

Leo Huynh, D.O., chief of Emergency Medicine at Baptist Health Baptist Hospital.

“Somewhere around 10 to 15 minutes is reasonable,” explains Dr. Huynh. “You understand this if you're acclimated to saunas. If you're new to saunas, you might want to ease into it and start with five minutes. Certainly, the patients and the athletes that use it understand this. But the elderly have to be cautious, obviously. And certainly patients that are on blood-pressure medicines, antihistamines and even psychiatric medicines have to be cautious. And you never want to mix alcohol and using a sauna. All those types of patients will be a little bit more at risk because of the dehydration and electrolyte abnormalities.”

Here are a couple of Q&As featuring Drs. Huynh and Kyriacou from the Baptist HealthTalk podcast.

Heating Pads for Sore Muscles?

Mr. Shepard: Dr. Huynh, on the other end of the spectrum is a heating pad -- an old-school remedy that a lot of families would use. What about that and where are we today with using that kind of treatment?

Dr. Huynh: “Yes, I think with heating pads offer some benefit, probably more in the subacute phase. That means if you maybe had a big workout, or are just starting out, and the next day you're very sore, then heating pads do play a beneficial role … as far as increasing blood flow to that local area. I would use caution for electrical heating pads. You don't want to fall asleep. You feel rested and you're trying to warm the muscles up -- and then you fall asleep with the electrical heating pad. That can lead into some thermal injury. So, I would suggest caution and that heating pads have a limited benefit in the subacute phase if you're feeling sore after a heavy exertion.”

What About Cold Plunges?

Mr. Shepard: The Miami Dolphins and other football teams are about to start (training camp) where you'll see the players just jump into an ice tub with all of their gear on. What are the benefits of “cold plunges?”

Dr. Kyriacou: “Yes, cold plunges do have benefits. But again, you want to ease into it. In terms of our athletes that are doing it, there's a lot of benefits, in terms of it helping with inflammation in the body. Cold itself is an analgesic. It helps reduce inflammation. More vasoconstriction occurs to your blood vessels when you're in the cold, so it reduces increased circulation to an area that might be currently inflamed. But one thing that first happens is you get that shock … and that can be very dangerous to somebody that might have a cardiovascular issue or an arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat) issue. You always want to make sure that you speak to your physician first before you do anything that is a cold plunge.”