Jogging helps you lose weight, and it's most effective when you drink enough water. Researchers studied sweat rates in professional football players practicing in protective gear that increases sweating. Compared with the smaller men playing as backs, linemen were sweating at a higher rate and were sweating a greater volume of fluid, but did not lose more weight during preseason practices than the backs, the researchers reported in the March 2008 "Journal of Athletic Training."
Background
Sweats can be useful, but making your body warmer when you jog only causes you to lose water weight. Wearing sweats to jog won't help you burn more fat. Increasing your volume of sweat leads to a temporary reduction of water weight. Some people try this tactic to reduce their weight for a sports weigh-in. All the water weight returns as you consume food and beverages. Furthermore, wearing sweats in an attempt to lose water weight could result in dehydration. Even slight dehydration slows your metabolism -- meaning you burn fewer calories both during and after your jogging session.
Weight Loss
Weight loss requires changing your calorie balance. Calories are the measurement of energy. The energy you expend in physical activity burns calories, and food and some beverages provide calories. Jogging at 5 mph burns 728 calories an hour in a 200 lb. person. Jogging regularly makes your body better at burning calories and raises your resting metabolic rate. This means you burn more calories around the clock, which helps you lose weight quicker.
Sweats
Wearing sweats helps your muscles warm up faster, so sweats work well for early mornings, evenings and cold-weather jogs. Sweats can keep you more comfortable when it's chilly out -- although it's best to avoid jogging in extreme temperatures. Wearing sweats to keep off the chill can help you jog farther and burn more calories. Wearing sweats to jog on a warm or hot day can increase your risk of dehydration, which can lead to heat exhaustion or heatstroke.
Considerations
The problem with a focus on quick weight loss is it can set you up for weight gain. The body stores fat when you consume more calories than you burn off. It doesn't like to let go of fat, so trying to lose more than 2 lbs. a week can backfire.
When you jog regularly, you improve your cardiovascular fitness, lung capacity, endurance and bone density -- and reduce your risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. Focusing on health and fitness benefits rather than trying to lose weight quicker will help you create a lifestyle that supports achieving and maintaining a healthy weight.
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