Sauna Use and Blood Sugar Elevation

#1

Anybody experience elevated Blood Sugar after Infrared Sauna use?
I’ve been doing everything I can to keep my fasting and 3 hr postprandial BS in the 80’s. Just started using an Infrared Sauna in my home. 1/2 to one hour later my blood sugar could rise to 100. I have not eaten for hours, so the rise pretty much needs to be from the Sauna. This happens fairly consistently. I hate to think that all of the other benefits of Sauna use might be negated by this immediate effect on my BS. Might it not be a matter to be concerned about?

(Candy Lind) #2

My guess is that it has something to do with increased blood circulation. Try taking BG readings once an hour for several hours, beginning 30 minutes after you use the sauna, for several days; see how quickly (or slowly) your BG comes down. Also, log your meal times in relation to when you use the sauna, to see if you see any kind of pattern (could increased circulation while you are digesting a meal increase BG?). If it seems to stay higher than you like for extended periods, you might ask your doctor’s opinion, or call the company that makes the sauna and see if they can refer you to any research associates for further information.

(Omar) #3

Trying to make sense of that

There is no intake to your body.
There is no fluid loss from your body

It may has to do with the blood circulation and steering as mentioned above.

Or maybe the sauna affects the measurement standard.

I am just brain storming.

(Anderson Herzogenrath Da Costa) #4

Or maybe, as heat is a stress for the body, your cortisol level is increasing.

#5

So, for someone formerly pre-diabetic, and now trying to maintain blood sugar at healthy levels, is it something to be concerned about. My HOMA-IR recently was .8 which I was pleased with. Other markers are all good too. Just bugs me that this causes BS to rise.

(Todd Allen) #6

Without access to a sauna I take very hot baths for similar purpose. And I also get a short spike in blood glucose. Heat stress functions similar to exercise which can also spike ones blood glucose. The stress elevates heart rate, blood flow, sweating, etc. all of which requires energy expenditure. Growth hormone is increased which prompts the liver to dump some glycogen and it stimulates the release of fatty acids too. These are good things not to be confused with elevated fasting blood glucose and elevated fasting triglycerides. Regular acute release of energy through exercise and/or thermal stress are likely helpful in lowering chronic fasting levels.

(Banting & Yudkin & Atkins & Eadeses & Cordain & Taubes & Volek & Naiman & Bikman ) #7

Sweating would constitute fluid loss.

#8

Sounds good to me. Thanks for that reply. Do you think that the elevation in BS levels caused by the heat stress (I take maybe five 30 min Saunas per week) would also have an impact on glycated hemoglobin in A1C readings.

(Boston_guy) #9

You probably know this, but sauna use long-term has pronounced benefits for CVD reduction and all-cause mortality. Dr. Rhonda Patricks interview with Dr. Jari Laukkanen – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jL7vVG_CFWA

(Todd Allen) #10

Yes, anything affecting your blood glucose level ought to show up in your HbA1C too. I’d expect regular sauna use to lower HbA1C as even a tiny lowering of blood sugar most of the time ought to outweigh the short spikes. I’ve been doing an almost nightly very hot bath for almost a year (along with eating keto and exercise, etc.) and my HbA1C dropped from 6.5 to 4.3 despite the nightly ~20 mg/dl bg spike.

#11

Thanks again. Very helpful answers. You certainly have a good understanding of things. And sounds like you’ve really done nicely. I would love to drop my A1C below 5. I’ve done well with many things like Trigs, HDL, weight, body fat %, HOMA-IR, etc with LCHF/Keto, excercise and Time Restricted Eating primarily, but would love to get even lower Fasting BG (normally low to mid 90’s) and most recent A1C of 5.2. (My BG does drop further as I continue through my daily 20 hr fast). These are nice improvements for me. I’m pleased but I would like even better. It’s possible that it’s not going to happen. I did some genetic testing and have a SNP that makes me prone to higher BG. Do you use any supplements to help with BG control? Thanks Again!!!

(Todd Allen) #12

I took pioglitazone for a few months and my blood glucose came down quite a bit while using it. But it made me very hungry and I gained weight while taking it. But when I stopped taking it I did a lot of fasting to lose the weight and my blood glucose came down even more. For roughly the past 4 months my fasting blood glucose has been 65-75 mg/dl except when I have a cold and it goes up to around 85. At my worst my fasted blood glucose was 120 mg/dl though I wasn’t testing it myself then, just getting it done by my doctor every year or two.

In another thread here I saw a mention of Dr, Shawn Baker who is lean, athletic, quite muscular and eating zero carb was just recently tested and found to have very high fasting blood glucose. Really the opposite of what I would guess, although he does eat much higher protein than is typical for keto. By contrast I have little muscle and still am at 25%+ bodyfat though that is down by nearly half. But I have gone from fairly high visceral fat / fatty liver to very low visceral fat which might be a factor in my falling blood glucose.

#13

I’ve seen the update and analysis on Dr. Shawn Baker’s labs. Eats meat only and sets world records in various lifts. Your comments have been very helpful and have reduced my concern over what is probably a fairly good place to be. I guess no two folks are alike. Thanks again for your posts.