Bumisuka.com – 5 Dangers of Wearing a Sauna Jacket during Sports. The use of sauna jackets when exercising is quite common because it is believed to help weight loss success. This assumption arises because the sauna jacket is able to trap heat in the body so that sweat production increases and body weight decreases because of it.
Sauna jackets were originally intended for athletes with the aim of increasing performance and endurance or endurance. However, over time, this jacket has also been widely used with the assumption that it helps to lose weight.
Despite the many health claims attached to a sauna jacket, it turns out that there are various risks lurking behind it. The following summarizes the dangers that lurk if a sauna jacket is worn during sports.
1. Increase the risk of dehydration
Hot air that is trapped in the body when someone wears a sauna jacket triggers an increase in sweat production. Excessive expenditure of fluids in the body without being balanced with sufficient consumption can cause dehydration.
Reported by WebMD, dehydration that occurs in the long term risks triggering kidney problems, such as urinary tract infections, kidney stones, and even kidney failure. It’s also not impossible to cause hypovolemic shock due to decreased blood volume in the body.
2. Disorders of electrolyte balance
When the body loses a lot of fluids, the electrolytes in it are also lost. As a result, the body experiences electrolyte balance disturbances. In fact, electrolytes play an important role in the physiological functions of the body, starting from maintaining the body’s homeostasis, regulating heart rhythm, and supporting muscle and nerve function.
No kidding, complications due to electrolyte balance disorders include coma or loss of consciousness, seizures, and heart attacks. Therefore, let’s get to know the symptoms of electrolyte balance disorders as summarized from the Cleveland Clinic.
- Confusion;
- severe fatigue;
- dizzy;
- heart arrhythmia or disturbance of the heartbeat, which can be faster and irregular;
- muscle cramps; and
- numbness and/or frequent tingling in the feet and fingers.
3. Trigger heatstroke which is fatal
In addition to electrolyte disturbances, kidney problems, and hypovolemic shock, prolonged dehydration due to wearing a sauna jacket can also interfere with the body’s internal temperature regulation. As a result, body temperature increases even up to 40.5 degrees Celsius, a fatal temperature for the body. This condition is also known as heatstroke.
According to information from the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, symptoms of heatstroke include confusion, stuttering, loss of consciousness or coma, seizures, very high body temperature, even fatal if not treated quickly and appropriately.
There are several ways to prevent heatstroke. One thing that can be done is to drink more water while exercising and take lots of breaks during exercise, especially if the weather is hot.
4. Drastic weight loss in fast time
In a way, wearing a sauna jacket while exercising or doing normal activities is a shortcut to losing weight in a short time. Seeing the number on the scale getting to the left as a result of this certainly makes us happier so we keep on doing it in order to reach our ideal weight target.
The problem is, drastic weight loss in a short time is only temporary and can cause health problems, such as metabolic disorders and malnutrition. This is explained via Healthifyme. Moreover, the component of the lost weight is the composition of fluids that are vital for the body.
5. Risk of causing organ damage
One more fatal impact that is at risk of occurring due to the use of a sauna jacket, namely organ damage. This is thought to be caused by the high heat in the body. Reported by the Health Research Funding, when it reaches a certain temperature, the body will deactivate several organs, such as the kidneys and liver.
In fact, the brain also begins to experience impaired function when the body temperature exceeds 40.5 degrees Celsius. It is also not impossible to trigger organ damage, either temporarily or permanently.
Seeing the series of dangers above, using a sauna jacket while exercising is not recommended. Quoted by Healthline, the health claims attached to the sauna jacket are also not based on extensive studies. For that, you should avoid using it, OK!