Plastic Sweat Suits: Does It Really Help Burn Off More Fat During Workout?

If you’re no stranger to finding ways to maximize your workout, then you might’ve heard about plastic sweat suits. Plastic sweat suits used to be worn by professional athletes to help them burn off more calories as they work out.

As the name suggests, a plastic sweat suit looks like your traditional sweat suit but the material is made from plastic. Unlike regular sweat suits made from breathable fabric that wicks moisture away from the body, plastic sweat suits aim to increase sweating efforts to enhance workout results. But is it really beneficial or it the concept nothing but a pure gimmick?

To determine whether or not plastic sweat suits work, you need to know the many things your body goes through as you exercise under normal circumstances.

When you exercise, your body starts breaking down stored fat for energy. As the body burns fat, your core temperature starts to rise. To balance out the rising core temp, the brain triggers the body to perspire, cooling down the body as sweat dissipates from the air.

How Plastic Sweat Suits Work

Now, if you’re wearing a plastic sweat suit while working out, the material will inhibit perspiration from evaporating in the air. The plastic suit will help trap heat in an effort to increase sweating and burn off more fat as you exercise.

Benefit of Plastic Sweat Suits

Wearing a plastic sweat suit helps the body rid itself of water weight. This could lead to almost instant weight loss. The more sweat the body releases, the more water weight is lost during workout.

However, do note that the effects of water weight loss is only temporary. You will gain back what you lost when you drink water. In addition, the body needs fluids to function normally. If you are dehydrated, nutrients are not transported to your organs properly and this will result in poor health.

The Dangers of Using Plastic Sweat Suits

Although many plastic sweat suit manufacturers will claim that using their product will lead to long-term weight loss, it won’t.

In order to lose weight, you need to burn off fat. Burning off fat and sweating are two very different things. Wearing the suit will not help you burn fat, it will only make you sweat more. The effects of a plastic sweat suit is only temporary.

Using plastic sweat suits do the body more harm than good. Apart from losing more water through sweat, it could also lead the body to overheat. The suit traps the heat from the body to force it to sweat more. When your body is unable to cool itself, you will suffer a heat stroke. When not treated right away, heat stroke may lead to a full on heart attack or stroke.

Wearing plastic sweat suits to force your body to sweat more may also lead to kidney damage. It’s important to keep the body well-hydrated before, during, and after workout as to not put your health at risk.

Before wearing a plastic suit to enhance your workout, we recommend talking to your doctor first to discuss the benefits and risks of the suit.