642: The science of sweat, saunas & stress | best-selling author Bill Gifford

About this episode

Bill Gifford discusses the science behind sweating, saunas, and their impact on health and fitness.

“Sweating is our superpower," explains Bill Gifford. Gifford, a veteran science journalist and author of Spring Chicken, a New York Times bestseller on longevity. His latest book, Hotwired: How the Hidden Power of Heat Makes Us Stronger, dives deep into the emerging science of heat, sweating, and what happens when we stop running from discomfort. ​​00:00 — Sweating as an evolutionary superpower 03:00 — The science of ancient heat rituals 05:45 — How long & how hot? 07:55 — The dehydration trap 09:52 — All about Finnish sauna culture 12:50 — Heat acclimation training 16:41 — Elite athletes & what they can teach us 18:50 — The science on hot-cold contrast 21:49 — The case against cold plunging 29:08 — Sauna as a social ritual 33:20 — Heat as a mental health tool 36:34 — A beginner's guide to safe heat exposure Referenced in the episode: Find Bill Gifford on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/billgifford/ Get his book here: https://a.co/d/01osyyRH Learn more about The Culture of Bathing here: https://www.instagram.com/thehighlineguy/?hl=en Mayo Clinic review of the effects of Finnish sauna bathing (2018): https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/article/S0025-6196(18)30275-1/fulltext…

People in this episode

Host: mindbodygreen

Guest: Bill Gifford

Topics covered

• sweating
• saunas
• stress
• heat exposure
• mental health
• fitness

Keywords

• sweating
• sauna culture
• heat acclimation
• mental health
• fitness training

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Mayo Clinic, Journal of Exercise Science & Fitness

Books & works: Spring Chicken, Hotwired: How the Hidden Power of Heat Makes Us Stronger

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