One popular product that many people use to enhance their workout is what is known as a sauna suit. From the professional athlete who is trying to cut weight to the father of three who is trying to lose a little weight, there are several reasons why someone may want to wear a sauna suit when they’re working out. There are some pros and cons of a sauna suit that must be considered, however, to determine if this is a garment that should be worn with your next workout.
What Are the Pros of a Sauna Suit?
1. They can contribute to some fast weight loss.
It is not uncommon for someone to workout for an hour in a sauna suit and easily lose 5 pounds. This can be an easy way to kickstart a dieting plan, meet weight requirements for an athletic activity, or fit into those older clothes in the closet. Although this weight typically returns over a day or two, the process can be repeated on a regular basis so that the results can be maintained.
2. It may help to remove toxins from the body.
Your armpits smell for a very specific reason. It’s because that is one of the key centers for the human body to remove toxins that are within the system. You actually sweat out the bad stuff that tries to invade your body and make you sick. That’s why it smells so bad after you’ve sweated out a good workout. Adding a sauna suit to the mix simply enhances this process so that even more toxins can be removed.
3. There may be immune system benefits to wearing a sauna suit.
When there are a number of toxins circulating throughout your body, the immune system can actually become depressed. By wearing a sauna suit, it becomes possible to activate your natural invasion fighting processes so that it has better overall health. When your immune system is functioning as it should, then it is easier to keep up with your workout schedule because you’re feeling better more often.
4. It could keep your body in the fat burning zone for a longer period of time.
You need to have a certain cardio rate active in order to be burning fat. If you’re active, but lower than the fat burning rate, then you’re toning your muscles more than consuming fat. It is believed that sauna suits are able to maintain a higher heart rate for a prolonged period of time, thus allowing someone to burn more calories, up to double the amount, over the course of their workout.
5. It creates warmth within the muscle tissue, allowing them to work without problematic damage.
When you’re working out to create strength, what you’re actually doing is creating micro-tears within the tissues so that they can be repaired and built up to be stronger. A sauna suit keeps the muscles warmer and more limber, which means instead of creating bulky muscles, you’re giving your body a better chance to have strength through toning instead.
6. It can be used to enhance weight training exercises as well.
The key to long-term weight loss or building additional strength is through intense weight training that compliments a cardio workout. A sauna suit can help to enhance the results of weight training and encourage a higher metabolism rate, which burns fat and builds muscle simultaneously. This means that even when you’re sleeping, you’re actually burning more calories because you have more muscle mass that requires energy.
What Are the Cons of a Sauna Suit?
1. They can quickly lead to dehydration.
Sauna suits help people to lose weight quickly because they are sweating more as they are working out. This is especially true for those who are having a cardio day or are actually wearing a sauna suit in the sauna. That’s why it is often used to cut weight. It removes the water weight from the body so that specific requirements can be met. This means a sauna suit creates dehydration, which can quickly become problematic if it is allowed to continue in a prolonged fashion.
2. It unbalances the body’s electrolyte levels.
Sweating out a lot of moisture may help to remove some of the toxins that are within the body, but it also quickly unbalances a person’s electrolyte levels. The body needs more than just water to survive. It also needs certain essential minerals and vitamins to maintain the health of each cell. When excessive sweating occurs and there isn’t a proper electrolyte replacement when fluids are replaced, then some long-term health consequences may occur.
3. They can replicate the signs and symptoms of heat stroke.
It is very important to determine if your gym or workout center is air conditioned. If it is not, then you could quickly find yourself suffering from the signs and symptoms of heat stroke if you’ve sweated out enough fluids. The cooling air helps to regulate your body temperature so that you can recover from your workout. The same principle applies for those who are working out at home as well.
4. There is no proven weight loss benefit besides the lack of water weight.
Although there is some thought that sauna suits encourage the human body to consume more fat during a workout than without one, there is no direct clinical evidence that this is the case. The only proven weight loss that comes from wearing a sauna suit is weight loss that is associated with water weight.
5. Too much heat can damage your internal organs.
Once your body reaches a certain temperature, it will begin to shut down. That’s what happens when there is an extreme fever and it happens within a sauna suit. A temperature that is too high can even lead to seizures. Organs like your kidneys or your liver can begin to shut down as well. Some people even believe that a higher body temperature reduces your metabolism, which makes it easier to gain weight after working out.
6. It requires several changes in a lifestyle routine in order to be successful.
When wearing a sauna suit, there generally needs to be two sessions of cardio during the day instead of one. If you workout for 40 minutes, then you’ll need to split your session in half to maintain proper hydration. You’ll also need to eat smaller meals throughout the day instead of 2-3 large meals, which can be difficult to do with some schedules. The goal is to regulate the metabolism and give the body some resilience so that the other negative effects of a sauna suit can be better regulated.
Proper Management is Required for Success
The pros and cons of a sauna suit show that proper management of this tool is required for success. As long as individual hydration becomes a point of focus, these suits have the chance of helping everyone achieve their fitness goals.