Saunas are 100°C?!

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sauna

A sauna session can be a social affair in which the participants disrobe and sit or recline in temperatures typically between 70 °C (158 °F) and 100 °C (212 °F).

Ok, I am having trouble understanding how people are able to survive and not be cooked alive at such high temperatures?

I was under the impression they were 45-50°C maximum. :confused:
 
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50°C is more like it. Top shelf/seat could be 60 but that'll be about it.

EDIT: Though I'm thinking of steam rooms, which are a completely different kettle of fish to Saunas.

In a dry sauna (aka Finnish Sauna) 80C won't feel like 80C.

EDIT2: Read the discussion page on that there wiki.
 
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The world Sauna championships (of which all the male winners so far have been from Finland where it is a national past time) START at 110 celcius.
 
I think 80*c is "normal".

I just figured you're not meant to go in them for very long, so there isn't time for your body core temp to rise dangerously.

In super hot saunas (110*c+) you can get burns from the steam.

There's a BBC article somewhere about them

Edit: here we go: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-10912578
 
I don't think I could cope in a sauna hence why I have never been to one.... my bedroom is warm enough! I have to sleep in the buff most nights :p
 
I can hardly catch a breath in a 'normal' sauna never mind put up with the heat. If someone put me in one at 100c we would need to merge this thread with the cat in the microwave one. :eek:
 
Think mine tends to be around 80-90 degrees at my gym.

This should explain it a little bit.

Under many circumstances, temperatures approaching and exceeding 100 °C (212 °F) would be completely intolerable. Saunas overcome this problem by controlling the humidity. The hottest Finnish saunas have relatively low humidity levels in which steam is generated by pouring water on the hot stones. This allows air temperatures that could boil water to be tolerated and even enjoyed for longer periods of time. Steam baths, such as the hammam, where the humidity approaches 100%, will be set to a much lower temperature of around 40 °C (104 °F) to compensate. The "wet heat" would cause scalding if the temperature were set much higher.
 
When I satyed at the Hilton Hotel in Birmingham on a course i did a few years back they had a steam room it was a round room with a dome shaped roof all made from stone. I went in at the time with my watch that could tell the temp, The temp reading on the wall was 44 degrees C on my watch it read 57 degrees C bit with the humidity in the air being around 100% it felt so much hotter - felt awsome afterwards though.

Saunas are maintained at a much higher temperature around 75 degrees C but the lack of humidity makes it easier to handle for short periods.

I could only handle about 30 Mins in the steam room but could do easy an hour or more in the Sauna.......

On a side note I was on Holiday in Spain once was in the Sauna at the hotel and a girl from Belgium came in also, she was in Bikini i was in just a towel she was well fit we got all hot and steamy in there..... and had passionate sex in my hotel room afterwards awsome best holiday with my parents ever i was only 16 at the time...LOL
 
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