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Sauna vs cold plunge — which has better evidence for longevity?
The Finnish sauna studies show a strong association between sauna use and reduced all-cause mortality. Meanwhile, cold exposure has less epidemiological data but stronger mechanistic arguments (hormesis, brown fat, etc). If you could only do one, which would you choose and why?
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Sauna, hands down. The Kuopio Ischemic Heart Disease study with 2300+ men followed for 20 years is one of the strongest datasets we have for any longevity intervention.
Both. They activate different stress response pathways. Alternating hot and cold is basically Nordic bathing and has centuries of tradition behind it.
The sauna data is observational though. Healthy user bias is massive — people who use saunas regularly also tend to be more health-conscious overall.
I do both but if forced to choose: sauna. The cardiovascular benefits are better supported and it's more pleasant.