The Answer is...

While on my way to the TrueFitness Performance studio this morning I drove past a gentleman on a brisk morning walk. My first thought was “good for him, he is out doing something good for himself.” This thought was quickly diminished when I looked closely at what he was wearing. He had on a silver, plastic jacket; not the fashionable type that one would wear.  Specifically, this jacket had elastic around the waist, wrists and neck/shoulders to make sure the garment stayed close to the body. It is a jacket designed in such a way that it does not allow the body to breathe. It forces the body to produce an excess amount of sweat and does not allow the sweat to evaporate. Sadly, this is not the first time I have seen this particular garment. I know it to be one that people wear with the misconstrued belief that it will actually help them lose more weight. People who use this product believe that the more sweat they produce the more weight they are losing or fat they are burning.

Here’s the truth: Your body is designed to function at a particular temperature. As you engage in sports and activity the natural response is for your body temperature to rise. Part of the rise in heat is due to the aerobic metabolic system where the main byproducts of fat metabolism are heat and water. When the temperature gets to a level that your body is not designed to function at, it has mechanisms to cool off. Sweating is one these mechanisms. The excess heat in the body rises to the skins surface and is released in the form of sweat. Therefore, it is believed that wearing an external garment designed to produce sweat is an effective way to burn more fat. However, this is not the case.

The mechanism of sweating only works to cool the body when the sweat is allowed to evaporate into the surrounding air. If the sweat does not evaporate (i.e. due to a plastic jacket) and the body is not able to cool itself, the internal temperature continues to rise and more sweat is produced; a larger amount of fat is NOT burned. As more and more sweat is produced the body is being dehydrated, which presents enough problems in itself. In addition, excess body heat can lead to heat illnesses such as heat exhaustion, heat stroke and, when not treated, death. Not only do plastic garments present these health risks they do not give you the added weight loss benefits you were expecting.

In conclusion, while engaging in sports and activities you should wear appropriate, loose fitting clothing that allows the skin to breathe. This includes cotton, mesh, and dry fit materials that have been designed to allow for the evaporation of sweat. Drink water before, during, and after activities to replenish the water loss through sweating so that dehydration does not occur. With healthy eating habits and regular exercise fat loss will occur.

Contributed by: Jenna Wlasiuk, ATC, CSCS

Contact Jenna: Jenna@truefitness.biz