When your body is exposed to extreme temperatures (hot or cold) it gets stressed causing adaptation and a chemical response to make the body more resilient.

The sauna heats up your tissues, and your nervous system responds by dilating the vessels in an attempt to cool down and then increases blood flow reducing pain and speeding up recovery after workouts by sending more oxygen to the affected cells. Then the cold water constricts the vessels, reducing inflammation and soreness, sending blood back to the vital organs. When you exit the cold plunge your vessels dilate to rewarm the tissue and increase blood flow improving pain and recovery.

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Both the sauna and cold plunge improve immunity, but they do so from different angles, making you more resistant to viral infections. The sauna heats your body mimicking a fever and your body responds with its anti-viral army of white blood cells, lymphocytes, neutrophils, interferons. The cold water increases plasma concentration of glutathione an antioxidant that plays a key role in the proper function of t cell lymphocytes, which activate natural killer cells. 

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Cold water exposure activates your brown adipose tissue which helps you burn fat for energy to stay warm. Where the infrared sauna increases your heartrate and metabolic rate, similar to a cardio workout. The combination of the two can be an excellent tool in weight loss efforts. 

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The sauna releases endorphins, including beta-endorphin, a substance that improves your mood, energy, sense of calm and pain tolerance. The cold plunge is generally anything but relaxing because it upregulates your sympathetic nervous system, triggering a fight or flight response. However, cold plunging teaches you to slow down your breathing, thus down-regulating your sympathetic nervous system. Mastering that skill while being exposed to ice water can help you in other stressful situations (unrelated to ice bathing) to stay calm and in control of your stress response. Combining active relaxation in the sauna with improved skills to manage stressful situations is a powerful way to positively influence how you perceive stress in general. 

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Submerging your entire body in ice cold water triggers the release of norepinephrine, a hormone that’s responsible for attention, focus and energy. The sauna triggers the release of certain energy-boosting hormones, including beta-endorphin. Combining these treatment targets different areas of your endocrine system, amplifying their energy-boosting effects. There is a close relationship between your mood and energy levels, because both are influenced by some of the same hormones, including beta-endorphin and norepinephrine. That’s why you’ll likely experience a boost in mood when you do contrast therapy.

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