Exercise suits which trap body heat cause rapid weight loss through perspiration. Temporary fluid losses rob the body of important mineral salts and water, but don't cause permanent weight loss or reduce body fat. The inability to shed body heat while exercising could trigger serious heat-related illness. In extremely hot conditions, with or without the sweat suit, people burn calories slightly faster than in comfortable temperatures, but not enough to aid a weight loss program.
Sauna Suits
The rubberized fabric of sauna suits prevents sweat from evaporating and retains the extra body heat generated by exercise. The suit manufacturers claim that wearing the suits causes body fat to burn away at a higher than normal rate. Energy burn could rise by 5 percent during a hot workout, says sports nutritionist Freddy Brown. The extra calorie burn happens when blood vessels on the surface of the body expand to vent extra heat, causing the heart to work harder. Others claim that the body actually burns calories to produce sweat, so the more you sweat the more fat you burn.
Burning Fat
Aerobic exercise burns glucose and fat, according to Eric Heiden, an orthopedic surgeon and winner of five gold Olympic medals. How much fat the body burns depends on aerobic conditioning, which increases the number of mitochondria in muscle cells. As the mitochondria increase, the ability to burn fat increases and the body depends less on glucose for fuel. Extended exercise which depletes the body's glucose reserves causes a shift to fat-burning, along with the feeling of "hitting the wall." The best fuel combines both stored glucose and fat reserves.
Heat Effects
The claim that sweat suits increase total calorie burn by 5 percent may have some truth in it. The extra effort of cooling the body through increased circulation could burn 3 to 5 percent more calories compared to activity in comfortable temperatures. To reach that extra 5 percent, the heat must be extreme -- like sitting in a hot Jacuzzi, says John Porcari of the University of Wisconsin. Exercising in extremely hot environments puts people at risk of rising core temperatures and potentially deadly heat stress.
Risks
Working out in a sauna suit could cause rapid dehydration as well as heat exhaustion or heat stroke, especially if exercisers combine the suits with workouts in hot weather. Athletes who need to meet certain weight requirements -- like boxers before a weigh-in -- use sauna suits to produce temporary weight loss but re-hydrate sensibly after hitting the scales. For people on a weight-loss program, sweat suits represent a health risk and create no lasting benefit.
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