Muscle restoration and performance

Exploring how regular heat exposure can aid in muscle repair and reduce post-exercise soreness

Muscle restoration used to be passive. A day off. A foam roller. Maybe a cold drink and an early night. But we know now that recovery is an active part of performance, something you can optimise, not just wait for.

At ISKA, we work with individuals who train hard, live full lives, and expect a lot from their bodies. What we see again and again is this: those who prioritise themselves, improve faster. Those who use heat consistently, feel the difference, not just in how they move, but in how they sustain effort over time. So, how exactly does heat exposure, especially in the form of infrared saunas, support muscle recovery and enhance performance?

Training breaks muscle down. Restoration builds it back up.

Let’s start with what happens during training. When you exercise, whether strength training, running, or doing high-intensity intervals, you create microscopic damage in your muscle fibres. This is completely normal. In fact, it’s essential for growth. But that damage causes an immune response. You get inflammation, swelling, and delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). You also get a build-up of metabolic waste, lactic acid, hydrogen ions, and other by-products that create stiffness and fatigue. Restoration is the process of clearing that out, rebuilding tissue, and restoring range of motion. And this is where heat can play a critical role.

The heat effect: what’s happening under the surface

Applying heat post-exercise initiates a series of internal reactions. Your blood vessels dilate, increasing circulation to affected tissues. Oxygen and nutrients needed for repair are delivered more efficiently. At the same time, by-products of exertion, like hydrogen ions and metabolic waste, are cleared out faster. This is why people often feel lighter and more mobile after a sauna session. The warmth is not just relaxing, it’s helping your body move resources where they are needed most. A study in The Journal of Physiological Sciences found that mild heat stress led to increased muscle protein synthesis, one of the key mechanisms in tissue repair (Selsby et al., 2007). This is not just about comfort. It is measurable improvement.

Muscle tone, flexibility, and postural reset

Post-exercise tightness can limit performance in subsequent sessions. Heat helps reset that baseline. Infrared exposure reduces resting muscle tone, softening tension and promoting flexibility without forcing the stretch. That means better range of motion, less risk of compensation patterns, and improved alignment during your next workout. What you feel is subtle: a shift from stiffness to ease. A sense of release through hips, shoulders, and lower back. Over time, this supports better posture, more efficient movement, and reduced injury risk.

More than muscle: nervous system improvements

Training places stress not only on the body, but also on the nervous system. The sympathetic nervous system, the one responsible for drive, focus, and exertion, tends to dominate during workouts. But restoration relies on its opposite: the parasympathetic system, which governs rest, digestion, and repair. Infrared heat nudges your body into this restoration state. The stillness of the sauna, the rhythmic breathing, the enveloping warmth - it all signals to the nervous system that it’s safe to relax. Cortisol levels begin to drop. Heart rate variability improves. You’re no longer in performance mode, but restoration mode. This matters. Because a well-regulated nervous system doesn’t just feel good, it also allows your physical recovery processes to work more efficiently.

What consistent heat exposure delivers

While one sauna session can reduce immediate soreness, it’s the regular rhythm of recovery that brings lasting change. With 2–3 infrared sessions per week, many ISKA members report:

• Faster recovery between training days

• Reduced generalised soreness

• Fewer flare-ups in long-standing tight areas

• More consistent energy throughout the week

• Improved sleep quality and post-exercise calm

Importantly, these changes are accumulative. Heat becomes a rhythm - a way to support your performance goals without overdoing it.

Your wellness is an edge - not an afterthought

You do not need to wait for pain to start taking wellness seriously. Recovery is part of performance. It’s the reason your next workout feels strong- or doesn’t. At ISKA, our recovery suites are designed for this purpose: to give your body the time, space, and science-backed tools it needs to restore, so you can keep showing up, fully present and physically ready.

Find your edge,

The ISKA Team

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