Using steam rooms and saunas

Ashmore69

Member
Messages
20
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
I've seen some messages about using steam rooms and saunas for those of us who are T2 but never seen an answer as to the pros and cons. Any help please??

Stuart
 

Sid Bonkers

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,976
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
Customer helplines that use recorded menus that promise to put me through to the right person but never do - and being ill. Oh, and did I mention customer helplines :)
I remember being warned about saunas when I was on insulin, if my memory is correct I believe it had something to do with the heat constricts the blood vessels in the body which in turn can cause bg levels to plummet so the risk of hypos is great. A similar effect as a very hot bath will have too.

If I am wrong (quite possibly) then Im sure someone will correct me, it has been nearly 3 years since I came off insulin so I am a bit rusty with the dos and donts.

So can be dangerous for T1's and T2's on insulin and or bg reducing meds like Glic etc. As for a T2 on diet or diet and metformin, well if they say it can be dangerous I would tend to believe them, but maybe they are just covering their backsides but then why take the risk for the sake of a steam room or sauna, of course the choice is yours.
 

bluenoselouie

Member
Messages
18
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
I use the steam room and sauna at my local leisure centre at least twice a week with no ill effects :)
 

CarlG

Member
Messages
13
I use saunas regularly after workouts. Before I got well managed I could observe slightly spikes in my BG immediately after sauna session, which followed a natural drop after the workout. So I'm among those who tend to rise after sauna, but my personal suspicion is that I do it too heavily which causes my body temperature to rise, similar to a fever which also makes me go higher.

I have also read about people whose BG drops after sauna sessions, so my advice is to measure it after session (before cooldown) to see how you react, and adjust temperature and/or duration to stay within reasonable limits. I'm new to this though, and certainly no expert, so take my advice with a bucket of salt :)

T2 since Dec 2011.
 

Splash

Newbie
Messages
2
I sold my sauna a couple of weeks ago, and now I'm looking to buy a steam room. I think I'd just prefer it to be a bit more humid; anybody got long term experience with steam rooms and T2?
 
C

chris lowe

Guest
I don't like using them (or the jaccuzi) as I think that when they are shared at a health club or leisure centre they don't seem particularly hygeinic especially the jaccuzi - all those bits of flaked off skin (and worse :( ) floating about and being breathed in from the fine spray from the bubbles. I'm never convinced that the heat and the chlorine kill off all the germs.
 

mo1905

BANNED
Messages
4,334
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Rude people !
I've never had a problem with them. Use them all the time ! I do have problems following the bombing and heavy petting rules though lol !


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CarlG

Member
Messages
13
T2 and used to use saunas on a near regular daily basis as a "reward" for my exercise routine. Immediately after low intensity workout I can be fairly low, but a bit higher if the intensity or duration increases significantly. I value the long term effect for longer intensity more than the slightly lowered BG levels, so I tend to go with that (well, used to anyways - now that I've reached my target weight, I'm upping the intensity and reducing time).

If I also read immediately after sauna, my experience was a significant rise in BG, however it didn't take too long to get down to normal values - probably the effects of exercising lasting a while.

Note that at the time, my levels weren't alarmingly high, probably around 7 after sauna when it should have been 4-5 after workout. If that is your range, I don't think it would harm. If you are quite a bit higher, I wouldn't make matters worse, even if the effect is (for me) temporary.

I did eventually quit using it, but it was more because the thermostat was borked and it was hard to get good temperatures on it.

Since different for eveyrone, I suggest trying it out. Do some tests and see what happens and act accordingly.
 

Bisto44

Member
Messages
19
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Just a note if warning regard Saunas/Steam rooms. If you have any kind of heart condition they should not be used. I used to use one at my gym, however following my heart attack in December 2011 I was forbidden to use them by the cardiologist ! Apparently this goes for anyone with a heart condition.

Take care all

Tim


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