# What the world's leading researchers think about saunas

An episode of [Short Wave](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1482575855), 19 Oct 2026, 14 min.

Audio: https://prfx.byspotify.com/e/play.podtrac.com/npr-510351/npr.simplecastaudio.com/72da6803-9aa4-4e2e-a973-3bc436f0e9fa/episodes/84701610-9737-4496-b60f-4033560b4473/audio/128/default.mp3?awCollectionId=72da6803-9aa4-4e2e-a973-3bc436f0e9fa&awEpisodeId=84701610-9737-4496-b60f-4033560b4473&feed=F0qJcgXZ&t=podcast&e=nx-s1-5995406&p=510351&d=826&size=13216793

Saunas have gone from a Scandinavian tradition to a global wellness phenomenon. But how long should a person endure heat? Do saunas actually work? And if so, what are their benefits? NPR health reporter Will Stone goes as deep as the science will let him to explore the sauna hype waves and find out what happens to our bodies when we step in them. Interested in more about thermal physiology? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

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