While the news of the health benefits of infrared saunas (IR) has reached far and wide, not everyone interested has the time, financial means, or access to an infrared sauna. Many look for alternative and more convenient devices or treatments that can provide similar benefits, with sauna suits emerging as one of the most popular. These are often used to aid weight loss, however, many are unsure if they provide the same benefits as infrared saunas.
In this blog, we at Sun Stream Saunas AUS will provide a comprehensive comparison between the effects of infrared saunas and sauna suits, to better help you determine which one is better for specific goals.
Sauna Suits vs Infrared Saunas: Key Differences
Sauna suits claim to offer the same health benefits as saunas. Essentially, they trap body heat, which causes the body to sweat as its means of regulating its internal temperature. They’re often used in combination with workouts to increase perspiration, leading to quicker water weight loss and the possibility of enhanced workout results via increased circulation and waste removal. Many competitive athletes, the likes of professional boxers, have used these to shed excess weight quickly.
These suits, however, come with a slate of potential health risks, especially heat-related conditions such as fatigue, dehydration, muscle cramps, nausea, and a weak or rapid pulse.
Infrared saunas, on the other hand, elevate the body’s temperature in a controlled environment where factors such as heat and humidity are carefully regulated to ensure safety and comfort. And while sauna suits are often reserved for weight loss or athletic training, infrared saunas support an all-around healthier lifestyle, making it a more inclusive activity.
Do Infrared Saunas and Sauna Suits Have the Same Benefits?
Though sauna suits induce sweating and increase body temperature, they do not achieve the same depth of tissue penetration that infrared sauna does. Infrared saunas emit infrared light waves that reach the body’s tissues, stimulating various health benefits including better circulation, detoxification, and improved skin complexion. This key difference frames the discussion on whether these two treatments share the same benefits.
Detoxification
While many companies claim that sauna suits can help with detox, there is no clinical research to back up these claims. They do induce sweating, however, this only releases a miniscule amount of toxins from the body.
In contrast, infrared saunas operate at a deeper level by increasing the rate, blood flow, and circulation of the body. This allows the bloodstream to pick up accumulated toxins such as lead, mercury, arsenic, and cadmium and carry them to the liver and kidneys, which are the body’s best detoxifiers.
Pain Relief
Heat treatment and exercise, both related components to sauna suits, are effective in soothing chronic pain. However, since sauna suits are only meant to be worn for short periods of time, the relief they offer is temporary. Meanwhile, infrared saunas help manage chronic pain in the long term, with consistent practice and adoption in lifestyle. The treatment induces vasodilation, which improves blood flow, lowers inflammation, and helps lessen pain. It also stimulates the release of endorphins, the body’s feel-good hormones.
Heart and Blood Pressure
Using sauna suits while exercising does increase heart rate and can improve and prolong cardiovascular workouts, however, this offers minimal protection against heart and blood pressure-related illnesses. Infrared saunas excel in this regard, with countless studies proving it to be highly successful in lowering and maintaining ideal blood pressure levels.
Immunity
Multiple studies have found infrared saunas to be a viable treatment for improving immunity. The heat from the treatment stimulates the production of white blood cells and heat shock proteins, which are crucial for mobilising immune cells. The heat from sauna suits doesn’t stimulate the body’s immune system in the same manner.
Can You Wear Sauna Suits in the Sauna?
Wearing a sauna suit in an infrared sauna might seem like a great way to double up on their benefits – however, it’s important to remember that their intended applications are different. Sauna suits are not designed to be worn in saunas. Not only can they be uncomfortable in such settings, but they can also create a barrier preventing infrared light from properly penetrating the skin and limiting heat distribution. They can also induce overheating.
Should You Use Sauna Suits or Infrared Saunas?
Sauna suits are cheap and versatile tools that can aid in weight loss and the improvement of athletic performance, however, they do not share the comprehensive benefits that infrared saunas offer. IR saunas provide a host of health benefits in a controlled and comfortable environment. Furthermore, infrared sauna benefits are for the long term. So while sauna suits are effective for certain purposes, they cannot replace the extensive advantages of infrared saunas.
To learn more about the health benefits of infrared saunas, explore our SunStream blog. For more questions or inquiries about our infrared sauna products, contact us now!