Saunas & Cold Plunges: Understanding the Effects on our Menstrual Health

We know how amazing a sauna and cold plunge can make you feel; relaxed, revitalised, reset. But we wanted to dig a little deeper. What’s actually happening in the body to create that post-session high? How does this shift depending on where we’re at in our menstrual cycle? How do you find your calm when your hormones can be fighting against it?

We’re curious and the evidence is not finite, we are gathering what science knows already but want to keep exploring and be the living case study for how saunas impact our lives. We’re starting this exploration with menstruation, because female physiology is so often left out of wellness research, especially when it comes to recovery tools like sauna and cold therapy.

Whatever you take away from this, when it comes to your health, always please consult your health professional.

Thermoregulation and the Menstrual Cycle

Hormone fluctuations across the menstrual cycle have a direct impact on thermoregulation, that is, how your body manages heat and cold. During the four phases of the menstrual cycle (menstrual, follicular, ovulatory, and luteal), our core body temperature naturally rises and falls.

For example, in the luteal phase, progesterone increases core temperature by approximately 0.3–0.7°C. It also shifts the thresholds for shivering and sweating upward, meaning your response to heat and cold therapy might be different depending on the time of the month.

One medical review, ‘Temperature Regulation in Women: Effects of the Menstrual Cycle’, notes that these thermoregulation changes are most noticeable first thing in the morning, before any activity. So, if you’re a fan of morning saunas or cold plunges, this might be when you feel the strongest effects.

Study reference here

Can Heat Therapy Help During Your Menstrual Cycle?

If you’ve ever used a hot water bottle for cramps, you already know the answer is yes. But what about sitting in a proper sauna at 85 degrees?

Research shows that heat therapy can be incredibly effective during the menstrual phase, especially for those experiencing cramps or discomfort.

A 2018 systematic review found that heat therapy is as effective as over-the-counter painkillers for managing primary dysmenorrhoea (painful periods). The mechanism is simple but powerful, local heat increases abdominal blood flow, relaxes the muscles of the uterus, and reduces the intensity and duration of menstrual pain.

We spoke to Danielle Keiser, Global Menstrual & Menopause Health Consultant to see what she had to say about saunas and menstrual health.

“Sauna use can be really supportive during the deep luteal and menstrual phases for both physiological and psychological reasons.

Sauna helps with stress and cortisol regulation because heat exposure activates the parasympathetic nervous system, helping calm mood swings, irritability, and stress reactivity that are very common during the late luteal phase.

It can also help with water retention relief because sweating supports gentle liver detoxification and can reduce premenstrual bloating and puffiness! That and it helps to improve circulation because heat promotes blood flow, which can help with breast tenderness and heaviness often felt right before menstruation.

So, heat therapy, i.e. sauna use will be extra helpful around this critical phase of a woman’s menstrual cycle with hormonal factors and a lack of good estrogen to provide that emotional resiliency are playing their part. Who doesn’t need a boost at the best of times, let alone at this stressful phase of the cycle with everything that woman face in the modern world.

Danielle also points out how the menstrual phase is a natural detoxification. Apparently we even poop more when our periods come! So, a good sauna sessions at this time can give our bodies a really good chance to eliminate what our bodies don’t need – blood, poop and toxins through sweat!

Menstruation is already a form of natural detoxification and “letting go” and sweating can complement this process, supporting the feeling of a “clean slate” feeling for the next cycle!

It can also improve one’s mood because of the endorphins released during heat exposure.

During the period, blood flow, pelvic congestion, and cramping can make someone feel heavy, sluggish, or achy.
Heat from the sauna can dilate blood vessels and relax uterine and pelvic muscles, which can ease cramps and lower back pain (esp. if someone has a cup in or another great product to keep the period from running down their legs or onto their towels!)

Things to keep in mind are that sessions should be short and gentle to prevent lightheadedness during the period and to stay well-hydrated (you’re losing fluids from both bleeding and sweating)! If one has very heavy bleeding, they might prefer to wait until flow is lighter to avoid feeling faint.”

What About Cold Water and Menstrual Health?

Research is limited in this area and somewhat conflicting at times. In favour of cold water therapy, we found a 2024 study in the Guardian on cold-water swimming and female wellbeing. Led by researchers at University College London, the survey included over 1,100 women aged 16–80 who regularly swim in cold water.

• 50% reported that cold-water swimming significantly reduced anxiety
• 35% said it helped ease mood swings
• 31% reported relief from low mood
• 30% said it eased hot flushes

Although this is self-reported data, the results support what many of us already feel, that cold exposure can improve mood, reduce inflammation, and help us regulate stress. These are powerful benefits, especially during hormonally intense times of the month.

We must highlight however, that this study was based on cold water swimming, not plunging there is a difference between cold plunging (where the body is still and proceeds a hot sauna) and cold swimming (when the body is active). So, although there is some evidence in favour of cold water exposure, we are still lacking in menstrual specific data for cold plunge specifically.

We also know that each menstrual cycle is different and jumping into the cold can be ill advised for pre-menstrual and menstrual phases. Danielle advises that,

“Cold plunge is better in the follicular and ovulation phases when we have more hormone-driven immunity resilience. Danielle suggests that cold plunges are ill advised for pre menstrual and menstrual phases. It is actually ill advised for women to do any cold plunges in the luteal or menstrual phases of their cycle because the body must stay warm.”

In more traditional health fields, indigenous healing traditions and Traditional Chinese Medicine advise against cold plunging during luteal and menstrual phases also, based on principles including: 

• Energy preservation: These phases are considered “yin” times requiring warmth and  conservation.
• Blood flow concerns: Cold exposure may constrict blood vessels, potentially interfering with menstrual flow.
• Energetic depletion: Cold stress during already-demanding phases may tax the body’s resources.

Cycle Syncing Guidelines for Cold Exposure

If you’re curious about timing cold plunges with your cycle, here are some basic guidelines, based on a 28 day cycle. These are not rules, just suggestions, every body is different, and they won’t apply to everyone. Always listen to your body and do what feels right for you.

Cycle Phase	How Long to Stay in Cold Water (total)	Why?
Menstrual (Days 1–5)	We recommend skipping	Your body can be more sensitive to extreme temperatures during your period. Cold plunges may feel more painful or uncomfortable.
Follicular (Days 6–14)	2–3 minutes	Can enhance circulation, energy and mental clarity. A great time to experiment.
Ovulation (Days 15–17)	1–3 minutes	Cold exposure may support high performance, focus and mood during this naturally energised phase.
Luteal (Days 18–28)	30–90 seconds	Your nervous system may be more sensitive. Shorter dips help avoid amplifying PMS symptoms.

Why We’re Doing Our Own Research

Despite promising evidence, there’s still a major research gap when it comes to women’s experiences with cold and heat therapy. Whilst we have found generalised advice on heat and cold therapy during your menstrual cycle, we also recognise the gaps. There are limited controlled studies specifically examining sauna timing across menstrual cycle phases, a lack of standardised protocols for optimal duration and temperature and limited characterisation of individual variation in heat/cold tolerance. So, we’re staying curious and given the evolving evidence we are conducting our own research. We want to hear from our community, not so we can enter you into a prize to win something if you complete our survey, not to add feedback to our website reviews, not to add you to our mailing list, but to contribute valuable data to ongoing research. We think this is important, so we invite you to join the conversation too.

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Conclusion: Listen, Learn, and Share

Both heat and cold therapy can offer real benefits when used thoughtfully, from pain relief and hormonal balance to stress reduction and mental clarity. But the magic of sauna culture is more than just the physical effects.

We believe in the psychological and social power of rituals like sauna and cold plunging: moments of finding your calm, clarity, connection and camaraderie, even National Geographic think this is a top 10 ten ritual everyone should try in 2026 ‘offering a serene escape in the clouds’. These practices help us feel stronger, more in tune with our bodies, and more empowered to take up space, however we’re feeling.