Wearing a thermal suit, also called a "sauna suit," produces impressive results. After even a brief workout, you can literally pour the sweat out of the suit like you're pouring a cocktail. It can also produce impressive immediate results on the scale. However, its effects on your true body weight are not as dramatic as it would seem.
How They Work
Thermal suits are common gear among combat athletes. Wrestling coach Andy Brick says they work by surrounding your body with an artificially warm and humid environment. Just like the difference between jogging in August in Florida and jogging in December in Colorado, the warm and humid environment means you sweat more.
Calorie Burn
Despite the impressive accumulation of sweat, you don't burn appreciably more calories while wearing a thermal suit. In fact, says Oregon-based fitness coach Ben Cohn, your body burns more calories when cold than when hot. This means that, despite significant water weight loss, thermal suits don't contribute to burning calories or shedding body fat.
Motivation
One advantage of thermal suits is that they can increase your motivation during exercise. Sweat is a sign that you're working hard, so lots of sweat can be encouraging to some athletes. Cohn notes this as the sole good point of using thermal suits for weight loss.
Water Weight
People who exercise in a sauna suit often report losing a pound or more in just an hour of exercise. This weight loss comes from dehydration: your body literally sweats out a pint or more of fluid. This practice allows combat athletes to lose weight for an upcoming match, but the weight goes right back on as soon as you restore yourself to a healthy level of hydration.
Risks
Dehydration gives temporary weight loss at the risk of impaired motor function, organ loss and even death. It is contraindicated even for combat athletes by the American College of Sports Medicine. People who are not trying to lose weight for an imminent deadline with real consequences shouldn't even consider using a thermal suit as a weight loss technique.
References
- Andy Brick; Wrestling Coach; Hillsboro, OR
- Ben Cohn; Fitness Coach; Hillsboro, OR
- American College of Sports Medicine: Cutting Weight
Member Comments