The ability to lose weight extremely quickly is one of the driving forces behind many diet and fitness fads and tricks, as losing weight through diet and exercise requires dedication and can take weeks or months. Sweating heavily is one method for quickly losing weight, but this method of weight loss does not guarantee that the pounds will stay off and can also lead to some serious health risks.
Mechanism
Although sweating heavily is often associated with intense aerobic exercise, losing weight through sweating heavily has little to do with burning calories. Instead, most of the weight lost as a result of sweating heavily is in the form of water. The body contains vast stores of water that can be turned into sweat to help cool off the skin. Several pounds of sweat can be lost in a short amount of time during intense sweating.
Methods
There are many ways to lose weight while sweating. One simple way is to engage in aerobic exercise, the Grapple Arts website explains, as this causes the body to naturally sweat. The amount of weight lost can be increased by wearing heavy clothing or plastic suits as this will make it harder for the body to cool the skin, causing more sweat to be produced. A sauna, hot bath or shower can also be used to increase skin temperature and cause weight loss.
Limitations
One of the main limitations of losing weight through sweating heavily is that the effects are temporary. Although it is possible to lose 10 pounds or more in a short period of time through sweating, the weight lost is water weight, not fat, according to sports coach Brian Mac. This means that the weight that is lost will be rapidly replaced when water or some other fluid is consumed.
Uses
The main reasons why people try to lose weight through sweating intensely is for sports events that have weight classes or restrictions. Athletes, such as boxers or wrestlers, can lose weight before being officially weighed and then regain the lost water weight before the athletic event. This form of weight loss can also be used to temporarily increase muscle definition and appear thinner.
Risks
A number of risks are associated with sweating heavily as a way of losing weight, Military.com explains. Because this method of weight loss requires the skin temperature to be raised, people who use this technique can easily develop heatstroke. Sweating heavily to lose weight can also cause dehydration or electrolyte imbalances. If someone has a specific weight target, it is important that he be weighed frequently during the weight-loss sweating so that he does not lose more water than necessary.
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