Infrared Sauna and Type 1 Diabetes: What Every Runner Should Know
By Ali Dahl | AliRunsOnInsulin.com
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a commission if you purchase through my links, at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I believe in.
Every runner in your feed is talking about infrared saunas and red light therapy right now. Recovery pods. Sauna blankets. Heat protocols. The wellness world has fully embraced heat therapy, and the running community is right behind it.
But here’s the thing nobody in those posts is talking about: what happens when you add Type 1 diabetes to the equation.
Because it’s not the same. It’s not even close to the same.
Before you wrap yourself in a sauna blanket or book a session at your local infrared studio, there are things you need to know — things that could save you from a serious low, a failed CGM sensor, or a recovery session that turns into a medical situation.
This is that post.
What Is Infrared Sauna Therapy (And Why Runners Are Obsessed With It)
Traditional saunas heat the air around you to temperatures between 150–195°F. Infrared saunas work differently. They use light waves to heat your body directly from the inside out, at lower temperatures — typically 110–135°F — without super-heating the surrounding air.
That difference in mechanism is why infrared saunas have become a recovery staple for endurance athletes. The heat penetrates deeper into muscle tissue, targeting the places that actually hurt after a long run, without the suffocating environment of a traditional Finnish sauna.
The research on infrared recovery for athletes is genuinely compelling. A 2025 study out of the University of Jyväskylä found that infrared sauna use after exercise helped prevent performance decline, reduced muscle soreness, and improved recovery in female athletes over a six-week training period. A separate study found that athletes who used infrared therapy regained full strength within 72 hours — while those who didn’t were still 17–19% weaker five days post-workout.
For a marathoner trying to stack training days and not fall apart, those numbers matter.
Infrared therapy also boosts blood flow by up to 30%, helps activate heat shock proteins that repair damaged muscle cells, and has been shown to improve deep sleep quality — which is where a huge chunk of actual recovery happens.
So yes. The hype has some science behind it.
But here’s where the T1D layer comes in.
The Thing Nobody Is Telling T1D Runners
Heat speeds up insulin absorption by approximately 110%.
Read that again.
That means if you have a recent injection site anywhere on your body that’s getting warm — an abdomen, a thigh, an arm — the heat from a sauna session can cause your insulin to absorb significantly faster than normal. Your blood sugar can drop fast. Faster than it does on a run sometimes, because at least on a run you’re monitoring.
In a relaxed sauna session, a lot of people check in and check out. They close their eyes. They rest. They don’t necessarily have their fast-acting carbs sitting next to them.
This is a setup for a bad low.
Additionally, dehydration compounds everything. Sauna sessions cause significant fluid loss through sweat. People with Type 1 diabetes are already at higher risk for dehydration-related blood sugar instability, and adding heat stress on top of post-run depletion is something that requires active management — not passive enjoyment.
None of this means you can’t do it. It means you have to do it smarter than the general population does.
Why Infrared Is Actually the Better Choice for T1D
Here’s the good news in the T1D-specific conversation: the lower operating temperature of infrared saunas — 110–135°F versus the 150–195°F of traditional saunas — directly reduces the risk of rapid insulin absorption and sudden blood sugar drops.
The gentler heat still delivers the deep-tissue benefits that make sauna therapy worth doing, but without the extreme systemic temperature spike that makes traditional saunas riskier for people on insulin.
This is why, if you’re going to experiment with heat therapy as a T1D runner, infrared is the place to start.
What About Your CGM?
Your diabetes button has opinions about heat.
Dexcom and FreeStyle Libre sensors are designed to operate within defined temperature ranges — Dexcom systems generally up to around 42°C (about 108°F), FreeStyle Libre up to around 45°C. At the lower end of infrared sauna temperatures you’re approaching that ceiling. At the higher end, you may be exceeding it.
What this means practically:
- Your CGM readings may become inaccurate during a session. Don’t make dosing decisions based on in-session CGM data.
- The adhesive can weaken with heat and sweat, causing your sensor to loosen or fall off. If you’re using a sauna blanket or full infrared session regularly, protect your sensor with an overlay like Skin Grip.
- Check your blood sugar before you go in with a reliable reading, not a trend arrow from a potentially heat-affected sensor.
Leave your receiver or phone outside the heat environment if possible. Keep fast-acting carbs within reach before you even start.
The Sauna Blanket Option: All the Benefits, More Accessible
If a full infrared sauna cabin isn’t in your budget or your square footage, sauna blankets are where most runners are starting — and they’re genuinely worth considering.
A sauna blanket wraps around your body and delivers infrared heat at controlled temperatures. You’re not sitting in a heated room; you’re lying down, zipped into something that looks vaguely like a burrito situation, letting the heat penetrate your muscles post-run.
The benefits are similar to a full infrared session — improved circulation, reduced soreness, better sleep — at a fraction of the cost and without needing dedicated space.
HigherDOSE Sauna Blanket is the most talked-about option in the running and wellness space, with a price point around $500–700. It’s the one I’d start with if you’re new to heat therapy and want to test the benefits before committing to a full unit.
[Affiliate link — I may earn a commission on purchases made through this link.]
For a more budget-friendly entry point, options in the $200–350 range exist and work well for recovery purposes.
T1D protocol for sauna blanket use:
- Check your CGM at least 15–20 minutes before starting so you have a stable, reliable reading
- Start with 15-minute sessions at lower temperatures before working up to 30 minutes
- Have fast-acting carbs right next to you — not in the other room
- Hydrate with water and electrolytes before, during, and after
- Don’t session immediately post-run when your blood sugar may already be in motion — give yourself 60–90 minutes of stabilization first
- Check your blood sugar again when you get out
Red Light Therapy: What the Science Actually Says for T1D Runners
Red light therapy is a different tool than infrared sauna, though the two are often sold together and sometimes combined in the same device.
Where infrared works primarily through heat, red light therapy (also called photobiomodulation) uses specific wavelengths of visible red and near-infrared light to stimulate cellular energy production. Think of it as charging your cells rather than warming your muscles.
For runners, the research shows promising results for reducing muscle soreness, lowering inflammatory markers, and speeding recovery time. Studies have found reductions in blood lactate levels and markers of muscle damage after red light therapy sessions.
The T1D angle is still emerging but interesting: some early research suggests that red light therapy may help reduce pain associated with peripheral neuropathy, a common long-term complication of diabetes. There is also preliminary evidence suggesting it may support better metabolic function at the cellular level — but this is early-stage research, not a claim about blood sugar management.
What red light therapy does not do: cause the same insulin absorption acceleration that heat does. Because it doesn’t raise core body temperature significantly, it carries a different risk profile than infrared sauna for T1D.
HigherDOSE Red Light Face Mask and full-panel devices are the most popular consumer options. If you’re curious about recovery-focused red light, a panel device you can use on sore legs post-marathon training is where I’d start.
[Affiliate link — I may earn a commission on purchases made through this link.]
The T1D Runner Protocol: How to Actually Do This Safely
Here’s what I’d tell a T1D runner who wants to add heat therapy to their recovery stack:
Before your session:
- Stable blood sugar in a comfortable range (not trending down, not post-exercise low)
- CGM checked 15–20 minutes prior for an accurate baseline reading
- Fast-acting carbs on hand — glucose tabs, a juice box, whatever works for you
- 16–24 oz of water with electrolytes
During your session:
- Start with 15 minutes. Not 30. Not 45. Work up.
- Temperature: 120–130°F to start. Let your body adapt before going higher.
- Don’t rely on CGM readings during the session — heat affects accuracy
- Keep your phone or receiver outside the heated environment if possible
After your session:
- Check blood sugar as soon as you’re out
- Continue hydrating
- Monitor for 1–2 hours post-session, as blood sugar effects can be delayed
Talk to your endocrinologist before starting a regular heat therapy practice, particularly if you use an insulin pump. Pump tubing near injection sites can also be affected by heat absorption.
The Bottom Line
Infrared sauna therapy and red light therapy are legitimate recovery tools with real research behind them — and as a T1D runner, you can absolutely use them. But the general population’s advice doesn’t account for what happens when your insulin delivery system is internal and heat-sensitive.
The wins are real: faster muscle recovery, better sleep, reduced soreness, improved circulation. For a marathoner in a heavy training block, those aren’t small things.
The risks are manageable: blood sugar drops, dehydration, CGM inaccuracy. All of these are things you already manage daily. You just have to apply that same management to your recovery sessions.
Start slow. Start with a sauna blanket before investing in a full unit. Keep your carbs close. Check your blood sugar.
Your pancreas doesn’t get a vote on race day — but it definitely has opinions about the sauna.
Products Mentioned in This Post
- HigherDOSE Sauna Blanket — The most popular infrared sauna blanket for athletes and recovery
- HigherDOSE Red Light Face Mask — Entry-level red light therapy for recovery
- Skin Grip CGM Patches — Protect your sensor adhesive during heat and sweat exposure
As always — talk to your care team before starting any new recovery protocol. I’m a marathoner with T1D sharing what I’ve learned, not a medical professional.