From yoga studios to boutique gyms, workouts performed beneath infrared heating panels have become a visible fitness trend. Studios often claim that infrared heat improves circulation, flexibility and recovery, reduces inflammation and helps the body to “detoxify”.

It is an appealing idea. Exercise already provides substantial health benefits, so could infrared heat make a workout more effective? At present, direct evidence is scarce. But a recent review of hot-yoga research found no clear evidence that exercising in heat provides greater health benefits than comparable exercise at ordinary temperatures.

Many commercial classes use far-infrared panels, which transfer heat to the skin and other surfaces in the room. This differs from photobiomodulation, sometimes called red-light therapy. Photobiomodulation uses selected red or near-infrared wavelengths at controlled doses with the aim of influencing cells, rather than mainly heating the body.

Most relevant research has examined passive sauna bathing, heat applied to one part of the body or photobiomodulation. Findings from those studies cannot automatically be applied to people exercising beneath far-infrared panels.

1. Does infrared help the body detoxify?

There is no convincing evidence that infrared workouts improve health by “detoxifying” the body.

The primary purpose of sweating is temperature control. As sweat evaporates from the skin, it helps prevent the body from overheating. Researchers have detected metals and other substances in sweat, and one review suggested that sweating may contribute to their excretion. However, those studies did not show that sweating meaningfully........

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