-
Finnish Sauna — The Gold Standard
TempRx Series | Part 5 of 12 If you want to understand heat therapy, you go to Finland. Not because the Finns invented the sauna — humans have used heat for millennia. But because Finland turned sauna use into a population-wide natural experiment, then let researchers study it for decades. The results are hard to…
-
The Søberg Protocol — 11 Minutes That Change Everything
TempRx Series | Part 4 of 12 Everyone wants to know the minimum effective dose. How little can I do and still get the benefits? For cold exposure, we actually have an answer. And it comes from Dr. Susanna Søberg, a Danish researcher who analyzed dozens of cold exposure studies to find the threshold where…
-
Cold Shock Proteins — The Other Side of the Coin
TempRx Series | Part 3 of 12 If heat shock proteins are the repair crew, cold shock proteins are the rapid response team. Different trigger. Different mechanism. Equally powerful. While heat stress tells your body to hunker down and fix what’s broken, cold stress tells your body to wake up, pay attention, and prepare for…
-
Heat Shock Proteins — What They Are and Why They Matter
TempRx Series | Part 2 of 12 You’ve heard the term. Maybe from a podcast, maybe from that guy at your gym who times his sauna sessions with a stopwatch. Heat shock proteins. It sounds technical. Scientific. The kind of thing you nod along to without really understanding. But here’s the thing — heat shock…
-
Why Temperature is Medicine
TempRx Series | Part 1 of 12 You already know exercise is good for you. Sleep too. Maybe you’ve even accepted that vegetables aren’t optional. But temperature? Most people think of heat and cold as things to avoid. We climate-control our homes, our cars, our offices. We’ve engineered discomfort out of daily life. Which is…
Heat. Cold. Results.
Temperature is medicine.
Controlled heat and cold exposure trigger powerful adaptive responses: heat shock proteins that repair cells, cold shock proteins that sharpen your brain, cardiovascular conditioning, metabolic activation, and resilience you can feel.
But the dose matters. Too little, nothing happens. Too much, you’re just suffering.
TempRx calculates your optimal exposure time based on the variables that actually matter — temperature, humidity, duration, modality, and body coverage. No guesswork. No vibes. Just the science of thermal therapy, translated into a number you can use.
Select your modality. Dial in your settings. Get your target.
Why This Works
Your body adapts to stress. That’s the principle behind exercise, vaccines, even sunlight — small, controlled doses trigger protective responses that make you stronger.
Heat and cold work the same way.
Heat stress (sauna, steam room, hot tub) raises your core temperature, triggering heat shock proteins that repair damaged cells, reduce inflammation, and improve cardiovascular function. Finnish studies found that people who used saunas 4-7 times per week had 40% lower all-cause mortality.
Cold stress (cold plunge, cold shower, cryotherapy) spikes norepinephrine by 200-300%, improving focus, mood, and energy for hours. It activates brown fat for metabolic benefits and produces cold shock proteins that support brain health.
The catch? The dose depends on your setup. A 185°F dry sauna and a 115°F steam room require completely different exposure times to hit the same threshold. A 40°F plunge and a 55°F cold shower aren’t interchangeable.
TempRx does the math so you don’t have to.
What TempRx Measures
For Heat:
- HSP (Heat Shock Proteins): Cellular repair and stress protection
- Cardio Load: Cardiovascular conditioning equivalent
- Longevity: Markers associated with reduced mortality risk
For Cold:
- CSP (Cold Shock Proteins): Cellular protection and resilience
- BAT (Brown Adipose Tissue): Metabolic activation and fat burning
- BDNF (Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor): Mental clarity and mood
How to Use TempRx
- Choose your modality — Dry sauna, steam room, hot tub, cold plunge, cold shower, or cryotherapy
- Set your temperature — Match your actual environment
- Adjust humidity or body coverage — Depending on heat or cold
- Set your duration — See how your session stacks up
- Hit your targets — Aim for strong activation across the markers that matter to you
The calculator shows your estimated time to reach meaningful activation thresholds based on the best available research. Individual responses vary — this is a guide, not a prescription.
The Research Behind TempRx
This isn’t guesswork. TempRx is built on peer-reviewed studies in thermoregulation, heat shock protein activation, cold thermogenesis, and human cooling/heating curves.
Key sources include:
- The Kuopio Ischemic Heart Disease Study (20+ years of Finnish sauna data)
- Dr. Susanna Søberg’s cold exposure research
- Dr. Rhonda Patrick’s work on heat shock proteins
- Controlled trials on cold water immersion and norepinephrine response
Want to go deeper? Explore the full TempRx blog series for the science behind each modality, optimal protocols, and how to build your weekly thermal routine.
Pro Tips
For Heat:
- Hydrate before and after — heat causes significant fluid loss
- 15-25 minutes at 175-195°F is the sweet spot for most people
- Post-workout is ideal but not required
- 4-7 sessions per week shows the strongest longevity benefits
For Cold:
- Start gradually — 55-60°F for 2-3 minutes if you’re new
- Breathe deeply and stay calm through the initial shock
- End on cold (not hot) if you want maximum metabolic benefit
- 11 minutes per week total is the research-backed target
For Both:
- Consistency beats intensity — regular moderate exposure outperforms occasional extreme sessions
- Listen to your body — dizziness, numbness, or confusion means stop immediately
- Never do cold immersion alone
