Heat, infrared and the body's response
Heat shock response
The heat shock response is a cell's emergency reaction to heat and other stresses. It switches on heat shock proteins, which act as chaperones — holding damaged proteins in shape until they refold or are safely broken down. It is a conserved, well-characterised repair mechanism.
Also called heat shock proteins, HSP, HSP70, molecular chaperones
Proteins work by being folded correctly. Heat, oxidative stress and several other insults make them unfold and clump. The heat shock response is the cell’s answer: a transcription factor called HSF1 activates and drives production of heat shock proteins, named by molecular weight — HSP70, HSP90, HSP27 and others. They bind exposed sticky regions on damaged proteins, prevent aggregation, and assist refolding or disposal.
The mechanism is genuinely fundamental. It exists in bacteria, plants and humans, and it is one of the best-studied stress responses in cell biology.
Where the research is. Our far infrared studies page collects the literature and links on to its sources.
Why it matters here
It is the best-characterised mechanism in the heat vocabulary, and genuinely fundamental cell biology. What it adds up to for a sauna user is still being researched.