Wearing sweats while running

bkegurl36

Hi guys! I see a lot of people running/doing cardio in sweats at my gym, some wearing hoods, and then I see people in short shorts and a sports bra. I wondered if there is an added benefit to wearing heavier clothing while doing cardio? I would assume it raises your internal body temperature, would this help burn calories quicker? Or would it just dehydrate you quicker? I didn't see this topic on the thread so I am sorry if I am asking about something already talked about!

Thanks for your input!

arditarose

I think no.

PrizePopple

Me wearing just a sports bra and shorts would be a crime against humanity.

I wear longer stuff because my thighs touch and I cannot handle them rubbing together while I'm attempting to wobble down the street.

There's no other reason. No magical benefits of wearing sweats. It's a comfort thing.

arditarose

If you wear a sweat suit while you work out you increase your body temp and sweat more, but anything lost from that is purely water weight and temporary, I believe.

There are some old school Brooklyn guys who work out in sauna suits at my gym and I like it because of amusement.

xmichaelyx

There was a time when people thought that raising body temperature melted away fat. But there was also time when leading medical experts thought that mercury exposure was a legitimate cure for all sorts of things.

As much as I hate to link to Huffpo, here's a fun slideshow of historical fat loss stuff: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/21/fitness-history_n_1531625.html

Edit: If you're a wrestler and need to make weight, a sauna suit can help you lose some pounds for a few hours. But then you put it back on as soon as you drink anything.

bwogilvie

There's no benefit. Wear what feels comfortable. Once you're exercising hard, the main problem your body has is staying cool. A good rule of thumb is to dress for 30 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than the actual temperature (though if it's windy or rainy, 10-20 degrees is better). I run in shorts and a t-shirt down to about 50 F, tights and a long-sleeved shirt below that, with additional layers as it gets colder.

noexcusesjustresults2014

I know a few wrestlers at college who occasionally run in many layers. In almost every case, their goal is to drop (water) weight very quickly via sweat in order to ensure they make weight for their meet. After weigh in they rehydrate.

I don't see the purpose in wearing lots of clothes unless your goal is like the wrestlers I mentioned or you are training to race in hot conditions.

95% of the time I wear what is most comfortable

glevinso

All you will do is dehydrate faster. You don't burn more calories because you are hot.

Chieflrg

I see this as well for the last 25 years when the rubber-suits came out. It serves no purpose for calorie burn.

It has the roots of trying to cut weight for wrestlers/boxers/competition lifters and now MMA fighters. If you want to shed a few pounds before weight in, then gain it back immediately afterwards.

So somewhere down the line people started thinking cut weight is cut fat.

SKME2013

I wear running pants for running and not sweat pants as sweat pants are going to get soaked in sweat, stay wet and once I finished running I am in wet clothes. Running pants direct the sweat away from the body and keep me dry.