Enhancing Your Sauna Experience: Hydration, Supplements, and Humidity Control

Saunas are a fantastic way to detoxify, relax, and boost your health, but getting the most out of your sauna session isn’t just about the heat. Proper hydration and humidity control, combined with certain supplements, can take your sauna experience to the next level.

In this post, we'll dive into the essentials of staying hydrated, using electrolytes, adding natural supplements like glucose or honey, and adjusting humidity for an enhanced sauna session. Plus, we'll show you how our portable woodfired sauna makes it easy to control humidity with the added option of pouring water directly onto the igneous sauna stones.

Proper Hydration: Why It’s Crucial During Sauna Sessions

When you're in the sauna, your body is working hard to regulate temperature through sweating. While sweating is an excellent way to detox, it also leads to fluid loss, which is why staying hydrated before, during, and after your session is essential.

Hydration Tips:

• Drink Water Before the Sauna: Make sure to hydrate before entering the sauna to help your body stay in balance. Drinking water about 20-30 minutes prior to your session gives your body time to absorb and hydrate.

• Hydrate During Your Session: While it’s important to avoid drinking too much water at once (as it may upset your stomach), sipping on small amounts of water throughout your session can help prevent dehydration. Aim for half a cup every 10-15 minutes.

• Post-Sauna Hydration: After your sauna session, replenish lost fluids by drinking water or electrolyte drinks. This helps restore the balance of essential minerals and prevent post-session fatigue.

Electrolytes: The Key to Replenishing Lost Minerals

When you sweat, you don’t just lose water — you also lose electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium. These are essential minerals that play a key role in maintaining fluid balance, supporting muscle function, and regulating your heartbeat.

How to Replenish Electrolytes:

• Sports Drinks: Many sports drinks contain a mix of electrolytes, but they can also be high in sugar. If you prefer a more natural alternative, look for electrolyte solutions with lower sugar content.

• Coconut Water: This is a natural alternative to sports drinks and contains a balanced mix of electrolytes like potassium and sodium.

• Electrolyte Tablets or Powders: These are easy to add to your water and can provide a targeted boost of electrolytes. Look for options that are free of artificial additives for the best results.

• Mineral Water: Another great option to consider is drinking mineral water rich in magnesium and calcium.

By reintroducing electrolytes, you help your body stay optimally hydrated and prevent any negative effects like cramping, dizziness, or fatigue.

Honey or Glucose: Boosting Energy During Your Sauna Session

To enhance the effects of heat and keep your energy levels up during your sauna session, you can add a bit of natural sugar. Both honey and glucose provide a quick source of energy to your body and can help sustain you during longer sessions.

Why Honey or Glucose?

• Honey: Contains natural sugars, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory properties, making it a great addition to your sauna hydration routine. A spoonful of honey mixed into your water can keep you energized and support your body during intense sweating.

• Glucose: If you need a quick energy boost, glucose tablets or glucose-rich drinks can give you a quick source of fuel without the crash that might come from more processed sugars.

Eucalyptus: Adding an Aromatic Touch to Your Sauna

Adding essential oils to your sauna session can enhance your experience and provide additional health benefits. Eucalyptus oil is particularly popular for its ability to open the airways, promote relaxation, and offer antibacterial benefits.

How to Use Eucalyptus:

• Aromatherapy Diffusers: Some saunas come equipped with diffusers that allow you to release essential oils into the air. If your sauna doesn’t have one, you can add a few drops of eucalyptus oil to a towel and hang it near the heat source.

• Steam Inhalation: By gently pouring a small amount of water infused with eucalyptus onto the sauna stones, you can create a steam that releases the essential oil into the air, allowing you to breathe it in during your session.

Eucalyptus not only helps with breathing but also contributes to mental clarity, stress reduction, and a soothing atmosphere inside the sauna.

Humidity Control: Why It Matters in Your Sauna

Humidity is an important factor in the sauna experience, as it affects both the intensity of the heat and the type of heat exposure you’re experiencing. The more humid the air, the hotter it can feel, and this can affect your comfort level during your session.

Humidity in Traditional Saunas vs. Portable Woodfired Saunas

• Traditional Saunas: In most traditional saunas, the humidity is either low (dry saunas) or adjustable (in some cases). Dry saunas with humidity levels around 10-20% can be harsh, especially for beginners.

• Portable Woodfired Saunas: One of the benefits of a portable woodfired sauna is that it gives you control over the humidity. By pouring water directly onto the igneous sauna stones, you can increase the humidity, creating a more steam-like environment that can be gentler on the skin and easier to breathe in.

At Soulfire Australia, our portable woodfired saunas come with the ability to adjust the humidity by adding water to the stones. This not only allows you to personalise your sauna experience but also helps you enjoy the authentic sauna vibe — the sound of water sizzling on hot stones, the smell of natural wood, and the soothing effect of the steam.

Conclusion: The Complete Sauna Experience

To truly maximise the health benefits of your sauna sessions, it’s important to consider all the factors that contribute to a relaxing, effective, and comfortable experience. Proper hydration, adding electrolytes, using natural supplements like honey, and incorporating eucalyptus oil are all excellent ways to enhance your time in the sauna. Plus, controlling the humidity can make a huge difference in how the heat feels and how well your body can tolerate it.

Our portable woodfired saunas at Soulfire Australia are designed with your comfort in mind, allowing you to adjust the humidity and create the ideal sauna environment for relaxation and health benefits. Ready to enhance your sauna experience? Check out our range of portable woodfired saunas today!