Top Athletes Use Deep Heat for Therapy
From NBA icon LeBron (King) James to football legend CR7 (Cristiano Ronaldo) and professional golfer Rory McIlroy, some of the world’s most elite athletes rely on deep heat therapy as a core part of their recovery routines. Whether it’s through infrared saunas, heated wraps, or targeted thermal therapies, these pros know that staying on top of their game requires more than just training hard—it’s about recovering smart.
Deep Heat Therapy: Healing, Performance, Comfort
Deep heat therapy, especially through far infrared (FIR) technology, isn’t just about feeling good after a workout — it’s about strategic recovery that delivers measurable benefits. The deep penetration of infrared heat, reaching up to 1.5 inches into the body, makes it a game-changer for athletes:
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Cardiovascular Stability: FIR therapy can increase plasma volume by 7.1%, which not only helps with endurance but also with maintaining cardiovascular stability, blood pressure and reduce artery stiffness. For athletes, this means sustaining high-intensity performance for longer periods, whether on the field, track, or court.
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Enhanced Performance: What’s the secret behind pushing past limits? According to research, post-exercise heat sessions can contribute to a 32% increase in time until exhaustion. In a 2017 study from Qatar, participants showed a 17% boost in muscle strength. This translates to those extra miles, additional reps, or critical seconds that make the difference between a personal best and an average day.
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Accelerated Recovery: One of the biggest challenges for any athlete is balancing intense training with the need for recovery. FIR heat facilitates cellular repair in muscles, tendons, and ligaments, reducing downtime and getting you back to peak condition faster. Regular use of heat therapy enhances muscle pliability, reducing the risk of injury and keeping you in the game.
Beyond the Basics: Endurance Performance Enhancing
Athletes in endurance sports—think marathon runners, triathletes, and cyclists—often face a unique challenge: the need for sustained aerobic capacity. Incorporating deep heat therapy post-exercise can improve VO2 max (Volume of Oxygen Maximum, the max oxygen your body can effectively consume), a key marker of aerobic endurance, by boosting the efficiency of your cardiovascular system. Heat is a shock to the system, generating same cellular response that exercise and altitude do. This is why triathletes and other endurance athletes frequently incorporate infrared saunas into their routines, leveraging the technology to not only recover but also condition their bodies for better performance.
In fact, heat has a lot of benefits in general, training in heat is like working out in thin air. The origins of heat research could be traced back to the 2008 Olympics where University of Oregon Physiologist Chris Minson was helping marathoner Dathan Ritzenhein prepare for a sweltering summer in Beijing. Now, heat-acclimation protocols, such as a week of sweaty workouts, are a well-established way of triggering increased blood-plasma volume, lower core temperature, higher perspiration rate. In 2020, Minson set up a study with 20 cyclist sparked a frenzy among sports scientists: 10 days of training in 40C boosted cyclists VO2 max by 5%, and their one-hour performance by 6%!
Join the Pros to Elevate Your Game
Deep heat therapy isn’t just for the pros. Whether you’re a weekend warrior, a dedicated fitness enthusiast, or just looking to improve your overall well-being, the benefits of deep heat therapy are clear. From boosting endurance and enhancing recovery to preventing injuries, FIR heat offers a holistic approach to performance and health. The science supports it, the pros swear by it, and now you can make it part of your routine too.
