A sauna suit is a set of jacket / top and pants often used in combat sports training and running to help kick sweating into overdrive. The primary purpose of a sauna suit when it comes to combat sports (MMA, boxing etc.) is to help fighters cut that last bit of water weight before a fight. Fighters usually walk around at a much higher weight than the weight that they fight at, which translates into a competitive advantage if they’re able to lose weight to make weight for a fight, then bulk up quickly to become heavier than their opponent.
We’ve went over the benefits of a sauna suit as well as compared the pros and cons in this article – check those out for a detailed breakdown of how exactly sauna suits can help you take your training to the next level.
In this article, we’re going to be focusing on the question: Can a sauna suit help you lose weight?
In short, yes. Sauna suits can be a great tool to help you lose weight when used appropriately. Like all tools, they shouldn’t be relied on or overused. However, sauna suits can help turn up the intensity of your training by boosting your body temperature, which in turn kicks your metabolism into high gear.
When you train in a sauna suit, you’re essentially blocking your body’s ability to cool off via sweating. Normally, when you train and your body temperature starts to rise, you sweat. That sweat comes into contact with the air and evaporates, cooling you off in the process.
A sauna suit stops that from happening. Since sauna suits are typically made with non-breathable materials (like our proprietary rubberized interior), the sweat that your body produces during training never evaporates, which tells you body to sweat some more since you’re not able to cool down.
This leads to a repetitive cycle – you get warm – you sweat – the sauna suit blocks the cooling process – your body sweats some more to – repeat.
Repeated over a full training session, this can lead to a pretty significant loss of water weight.
But while that water weight is significant, it’s not real “weight”. Sure, it’s important for fighters to shed water weight during a weight cut, but for the everyday person or athlete trying to lose weight – we don’t really care about water weight.
But that’s the beauty of a sauna suit – its benefits for weight loss extend far beyond water. The increase in body temperature that comes with training while wearing a sauna suit pushes your body to work harder. Your cardiovascular system works harder, your muscles and joints demand more oxygen and your body burns more calories in this state.
Increased caloric burn increases the possibility that your body will be in an energy deficit – a state where your body burns more calories than you consume. When you’re in a caloric deficit, your body will draw upon fat for energy, which leads to weight loss.
To sum up – yes, a sauna suit can help with weight loss. The increased body temperature that comes with training in a sauna suit kicks your body’s systems into overdrive, which burns more calories in the process.
CONCLUSION: CAN A SAUNA SUIT HELP YOU LOSE WEIGHT?
Like all training tools, a sauna suit should be used cautiously. It shouldn’t be used in every training session, and it shouldn’t be used without first understanding the pros and cons of wearing a sauna suit during training sessions.
If you’re interested in a high-quality sauna suit, we recommend the Contender Sauna Suit. Made with premium polyester, rubberized interior lining and adjustable wrist and ankle straps, the Contender Sauna Suit is a fantastic addition to your training routine whether you’re looking to lose weight, push yourself harder during training sessions or cut weight for a fight.
