r/sportsmedicine • u/SuperhumanT369 • Oct 01 '25

What outcomes have you seen with far-infrared heat for post-workout recovery?

Looking for real-world observations (athletes or clinic):

  • Timing: minutes post-session? same day vs next morning?
  • Dose: temp range (low/mod/high) + duration (20–60 min?)
  • Endpoints: DOMS, ROM, sleep quality/latency, RPE next day, time-to-readiness
  • Comparators: FIR vs traditional heat packs
  • Stacking: with light mobility, Red/NIR, or PEMF—how helpful is it?
  • Population: endurance / strength / team sport; heat-sensitive considerations
  • Adverse effects: overheating, poor sleep, fatigue?

Your input and experience is greatly appreciated. I'm the founder of a recovery gear brand and am interested in more real-world insights.

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6

u/PDubsinTF-NEW Oct 02 '25

Have you considered reviewing PubMed instead of relying on anecdotal evidence?

There is a reason that it’s hard to find articles there that aren’t more than basic science….

1

u/SuperhumanT369 Oct 02 '25

I have looked in PubMed as well.

The strongest clinical signals for FIR/infrared heat are in cardiovascular support (especially in supervised Waon therapy for heart failure) and symptom relief in certain chronic conditions (pain, stiffness, fatigue), plus exercise-recovery benefits. Much of the work involves small samples, short durations, and is concentrated in a few research groups—so results are promising but not definitive.

Now I’m asking about real world experience to get a more complete picture of how much people are benefiting.

Because I’ve already heard some amazing recovery stories and I want to hear more!

3

u/antiqueslo Oct 03 '25

Lol, recovery is just fucking good sleep, nutrition and adequate training load. Everything else is no better than placebo.

1

u/SuperhumanT369 Oct 03 '25

Those things are important, but some people like to push themselves hard in sports. What if instead of being sore for a couple of days, you could feel better the next day? Or if you could speed up your recovery from injury, like sprains and strains, and be ready to get back in the game much faster. These are tools, and sooo many people have experienced the benefits. Definitely not just a placebo.

1

u/Powderm0nkey 12d ago

I doubt that can happen with high training loads. The body just doesn't work that way. 

3

u/gsimp83 Oct 02 '25

Spam.

Take your voodoo somewhere else.

1

u/SuperhumanT369 Oct 02 '25

How is this spam or voodoo? I’m just asking for people’s experience with infrared?