Do you ever stack therapies because “more must be better”?
It’s tempting to multitask:
Sitting in the sauna while basking in a red‑light panel and assume you’re doubling the gains.
As someone who experiments with biohacking and coaches clients through breathwork, cold plunges and sleep optimization, I’ve seen that stacking stressors often backfires.
Today’s unpopular opinion:
Keep your sauna and red‑light therapy separate.
What Red‑Light Therapy Actually Does
Red‑light therapy (also called photobiomodulation) uses low‑intensity red or near‑infrared light to trigger cellular repair.
WebMD explains that the light penetrates skin and muscle tissue where mitochondria absorb it and produce more energy[^1].
This increase in ATP supports healing and reduces inflammation, which is why red‑light therapy is popular for skin rejuvenation and muscle recovery.
It uses very low levels of heat and doesn’t hurt or burn the skin[^1].
Sauna Therapy: Heat for Cardiovascular Health
Infrared saunas differ from traditional saunas by using light to heat your body directly.
Mayo Clinic notes that they cause reactions similar to moderate exercise—vigorous sweating and an increased heart rate[^2].
Small studies suggest infrared saunas may help with high blood pressure, heart failure, dementia and arthritis, and to date there are few reported adverse effects[^2].
Sauna use is a form of passive heat stress that can improve cardiovascular health and stress resilience.
Why Mixing Heat and Red‑Light Can Backfire
Photobiomodulation is defined as a non‑thermal therapy[^3].
Researchers separate it from heat‑induced effects because introducing heat creates extra variables and makes the science murky[^3].
In other words, the benefits you get from red‑light therapy are not enhanced by raising your core temperature. In fact:
- Temperature matters. Large increases in tissue temperature (above about 41 °C) can produce less desirable outcomes and risk burns[^3].
- Separate mechanisms. Heat triggers different biological pathways than light does; combining them makes it hard to tell which mechanism is responsible for a result[^3].
- Too much stress. Excessive heat during red‑light therapy may produce free radicals that cancel out the benefits. Good photobiomodulation relies on a biphasic dose response—small doses stimulate healing while large doses inhibit it[^3].
In short, cranking up the heat doesn’t make red‑light therapy “more intense.” It could be undermining the therapy’s cellular effects.
How to Sequence These Therapies
You don’t have to choose one or the other—you just shouldn’t do them simultaneously. Here’s a science‑aligned approach:
- Separate your sessions. Do your red‑light therapy when your body is cool and hydrated. This could be in the morning before your day starts or later in the day after you’ve cooled down from training or sauna.
- Use the sauna for cardiovascular conditioning. Sauna sessions of 10–20 minutes at 60–80 °C are enough to induce sweating and heart‑rate increases. Allow yourself to cool down and re‑hydrate afterwards.
- Monitor temperature and dose. Photobiomodulation devices are designed to deliver therapeutic light without heating tissue. Keep the device at the manufacturer’s recommended distance and duration. If your skin feels hot, step back and let it cool[^3].
- Complement with breathwork and cold exposure. Pair heat stress with restorative practices like breathwork, meditation and cold plunges to build metabolic flexibility. Alternating stressors helps the nervous system learn to relax under pressure.
Final Thoughts
Biohacking is about intelligent self‑experimentation. Combining therapies indiscriminately can lead to diminishing returns or unintended consequences. Red‑light therapy and sauna sessions both have their place: one delivers photons to energize your cells while the other uses heat to strengthen your cardiovascular system. Keep them separate, listen to your body, and get the most out of each practice.
Ready to go deeper? Join us for breathwork journeys, cold‑exposure experiences and optimized sleep retreats in Chiang Mai and beyond. Check the Zen Strength events page for upcoming workshops, subscribe to the Zen Strength Substack for weekly insights, or grab your free 10‑minute energy boost audio to start your day grounded and energized.
References
[^1]: WebMD – Red Light Therapy: Effectiveness, Treatment, and Risks – explains that red‑light therapy stimulates mitochondria to produce more energy and uses very low levels of heat, so it doesn’t hurt or burn the skin.
[^2]: Mayo Clinic – Infrared saunas – notes that infrared saunas cause reactions similar to moderate exercise (vigorous sweating and increased heart rate), and preliminary studies suggest benefits for conditions like high blood pressure, heart failure, dementia and arthritis, with few reported adverse effects.
[^3]: GembaRed – Keeping Cool with Red Light Therapy: Why We Don’t Mix Light and Heat – discusses why photobiomodulation is defined as non‑thermal, highlights that introducing heat creates extra variables, warns that large temperature increases (above about 41 °C) can cause burns, and explains the biphasic dose response of photobiomodulation.