Post-Exercise Passive Heat Exposure in Athletes - A Systematic Review of Recovery, Performance, and Adaptation

Background. Post-exercise passive heat exposure, including sauna bathing, infrared sauna, and hot-water immersion, has been proposed as a strategy to influence recovery, performance, and adaptation in sport, but the evidence remains heterogeneous.Purpose. To assess the effects of post-exercise passive heat exposure on recovery-, performance-, and adaptation-related outcomes in athletes and trained individuals.Methods. PubMed and Scopus were searched on 18 March 2026 and supplemented by citation tracking and manual reference screening. Eligible studies examined passive whole-body heat exposure after exercise, training, or competition. Linked reports were grouped. Findings were synthesized narratively, and a retrospective risk-of-bias assessment was performed.Results. Thirteen study programs were included. The most favorable pattern was observed in repeated endurance-oriented applications, particularly when passive heat appeared to support heat adaptation. Acute effects were mixed and outcome-specific, whereas evidence in team-sport, strength-, power-, and hypertrophy-related settings was limited and mostly neutral.Conclusion. Post-exercise passive heat exposure appears to have selective rather than general effects in athletes. Current evidence does not support broad claims of consistent benefit across athletic settings.