Sauna and cold plunge: where does the evidence stand?
From Science Weekly by Guardian
April 2, 2026 · 17 min
About this episode
The episode explores the evidence behind the health benefits of saunas and cold plunge pools.
Saunas and cold plunge pools are popping up everywhere in the UK, bringing fiery heat and icy cold to a beach, city farm or park near you. Their users will be ready with all the reasons why it’s good for both the mind and the body. But what’s the evidence for the benefits of sauna and cold plunge? Madeleine Finlay hears from Ian Sample and from Dr Heather Massey, associate professor at the University of Portsmouth’s extreme environments laboratory.. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod
People in this episode
Host: Madeleine Finlay
Guest: Dr Heather Massey
Topics covered
- sauna
- cold plunge
- health benefits
- mind and body
- extreme environments
- evidence-based research
Keywords
- sauna
- cold plunge
- health benefits
- extreme environments
- UK
- mind and body
- evidence
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: University of Portsmouth
Places: UK
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