A sauna after training: yes or no?

Heat relaxes the muscles and helps you sleep, but after a hard session the body first asks for water and rest.

When yes

• an hour or two after an easy or medium session
• the day after a race, with plenty of water

When not

1. straight after hard interval training
2. the day before a competition
3. with an injury that is still warm and swollen

Three rounds of 8–12 minutes, a cold plunge in between and tea at the end. A sauna is not a contest.