Athletes who participate in sports that have weight requirements, such as boxing and college wrestling, sometimes wear a thermal suit while performing intense cardio exercises the day before being weighed. This allows them to lose several pounds very quickly. The weight loss in only temporary, however, because it is a loss of water weight, not fat. In addition, there are risks of dehydration if you sweat too much while wearing a thermal suit. Consult a doctor before wearing a thermal suit while performing cardio if you have any health issues, such as a heart problem.
How It Works
Wearing a thermal suit while you are performing cardio increases the amount you sweat. Normally, sweat evaporates on your skin and cools your body, but if you are wearing a thermal suit, or exercising in a hot, humid environment, your sweat doesn't evaporate, and your body gets even hotter. This causes you to sweat even more and can lead to a weight loss of several pounds of water weight.
Effects
When your body gets heated, you will sweat more, but you will not lose fat calories. To lose fat you need to expend more calories than you consume, and the amount of heat generated by sweating is not enough to significantly increase the amount of calories burned when doing cardio. The weight you lose by sweating more will be in the form of fluids, and you will gain the weight back as soon as you start to eat or drink something.
Risks
The biggest risk of wearing a thermal suit while performing cardio exercise is dehydration. According to the Columbia University Health Services, even a 2 percent drop in body weight through fluid loss can produce noticeable changes in your body's response to cardio exercise. Changes can include dizziness, muscle weakness, confusion and, in extreme cases, coma and death. The National Collegiate Athletic Association banned athletes from wearing thermal suits in 1997 due to the deaths of three wrestlers who died as the result of wearing the suits while exercising to lose weight.
Considerations
If you wear a thermal suit while performing cardiovascular exercise, you should stay properly hydrated before, during and after exercise as dehydration can come on quickly when you are sweating profusely. If you have a heart condition or other cardiovascular problems, consult a doctor before wearing a thermal suit while exercising.
References
- Columbia University Health Services; Working Out While Wrapped in Plastic --- Good for Weight Loss?; July 2009
- Military.com; Weight Loss Myths -- Sweat Suits; Stew Smith
- "The New York Times"; Ill-Suited for Exercise; Jake Mooney; August 2006
- Vanderbilt University; Weight Issues in Wrestling; Mike Viscardi
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