The Stack

Keeping up with the topic of heat, this week’s stack is how best to combine exercise and heat to specifically improve your VO2 max and extend the cardiovascular benefits you get from exercise.

Studies have shown that people who exercise (specifically resistance training) and then use a sauna, have bigger muscle gains and increased VO2 max.

This stack is from Dr Rhonda Patrick.

1. This stack applies to any kind of exercise, but studies have shown there is more of an impact when this is done with resistance training specifically.

2. Once you’ve exercised, get into the sauna. There isn’t a specific amount of time you need to wait between these two, as long as you get out of the sauna 2 hours before sleep, to cool down.

3. The optimum temperature of the sauna you want to aim for is 78/79 °C, for 20 minutes, twice a week. This is the bare minimum, although this can be increased to 4 times a week for even better mortality results.