After an exercise session, you may consider sitting in a sauna to help speed up weight loss. Post-exercise saunas may improve endurance to help you perform better during exercise. However, no evidence exists that proves a sauna burns fat to help you lose weight. Since you are exposed to high heat in a sauna, speak to a doctor before use.
Features
Sitting in a sauna increases your body temperature. Circulation increases and the heart rate increases since your blood pressure drops. These changes may give you an energy boost as a way to lose weight.
Considerations
Sitting in a sauna after exercise will not make you burn fat. Most of the weight loss during a sauna session occurs as a result of fluid loss. You should replace the fluid immediately to prevent dehydration by drinking plenty of water, at least six to eight 8-oz. glasses daily.
Potential
You may experience an increase in performance by using a sauna after exercise. According to a 2007 study published in the "Journal of Sports Science and Medicine" and performed at the University of Otago in New Zealand, post-exercise sauna may improve running endurance. If you are able to run longer, you can increase the amount of fat burned and lose weight at a higher weight. The study suggested that the improvement results from an increase in blood volume.
Prevention/Solution
The participants in the "Journal of Sports Science and Medicine" study spent 15 minutes running on the treadmill. This was then followed by a trip to the sauna for approximately 30 minutes. The test subjects relaxed in the sauna at a temperature of about 190 degrees F.
Warning
Speak to a doctor before using a sauna after exercise. He may advise avoiding the sauna after participating in any strenuous forms of exercise due to the potential for adverse health effects. A 1994 edition of the "Annals of Internal Medicine" warned of the potential hazards of sauna and intense physical exercise. A case had been reported of severe dehydration and heart failure occurring in a healthy man after an intense exercise session and 15 minutes in the sauna.
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