Sauna Suit While Doing Cardio

Many people who want to quickly lose weight turn to using saunas or sauna suits to melt the pounds away. Unfortunately, any weight that is lost results from shedding water weight, not fat, and is only temporary. Wearing a sauna suit while doing cardio is also a health risk because it can quickly lead to severe dehydration -- which can possibly lead to kidney or heart failure. Get your doctor's approval before wearing a sauna suit while doing cardio.

Typical Uses

Some athletes, such as boxers, wrestlers and rowers, are divided into weight classes to compete. Using a sauna suit while doing some form of cardio, such as riding a stationary bike, is one way they can lose weight quickly to make their weight class. This allows them to compete at a lower weight class while still retaining the same muscle mass of a heavier person. In a study published in the "Journal of Athletic Training," the majority of wrestlers studied reported losing 3 to 11 lbs. per match, with exercising in a sauna suit being one of the top five techniques they used to achieve that goal. Other methods included increasing exercise, restricting food and water intake, exercising in a hot environment and using a steam room or sauna.

How it Works

Sweating is the body's way of dissipating heat. When the core temperature of your body rises too high, sweat glands are signaled and release fluids on the surface of the skin that cool the body. In a normal situation, the sweat would evaporate. When you are wearing a sauna suit, the sweat does not evaporate and the body temperature rises even higher, leading you to sweat even more. If you are exercising and wearing a sauna suit, this process happens very quickly.

Water Weight

Performing some form of cardio while wearing a sauna suit will burn calories, but the extra sweating that results will not increase the number of calories expended. Any weight loss that results from sweating is in the form of water and and electrolytes, according to Stew Smith at Military.com. The weight loss is temporary, however, and you will gain the majority of it back once you start eating and drinking again. This is why many athletes wait until the night before the weigh-in to work out in a sauna suit.

Risks

Serious health issues can arise when wearing a sauna suit while doing some form of cardio, especially if you are not drinking enough water to replace the large amounts of fluids lost. Dehydration can easily occur, which can possibly lead to kidney failure, heat stroke or a heart attack. Two collegiate wrestlers died in 1997 due to wearing rubber suits when exercising, according to Vanderbuilt University.

Loss of Performance

In addition to health risks, rapid weight loss can lead to a variety of problems that will affect performance, according to Matt Viscardi of Vanderbilt University. This can include loss of strength and power, lowered testosterone and a decrease in muscle endurance. Other problems such as a weakened immune system and a decrease in the protein content of the body can also occur.