☼Steam Room vs Sauna☼

[kadumel]

Ok so here are my quick questions, I will be gone for a minute and back in an hour to read the responses. Yes I have read the FAQ multiple times, so if you are going to reference it please show a specific sentence or something.

Which is better for cutting weight, a steam room or a sauna? I have been using the steam room but I don't feel as though I am losing that much weight when I am practicing using it, even though I am sweating like crazy.

Also, is it bad to shower after steam room or sauna? Do you absorb any water or anything by showering?

Thanks in advance guys!

[Rowan11088]

Shouldn't matter which one you use, as long as you sweat. You should make sure to towel off thoroughly afterwards, and you can also take a cold shower without worrying about it...should work out to a few pounds.

[hitmanrva1]

i prefer the sauna....steam room makes me feel nasty

[mikasd]

sauna burns more calories and you sweat more, if you take a cold shower(preferably cold bath or lake or pool to jump into) you can go more than a couple of times and you will get improvements in blood circulation

[Nezzer]

The steam room freaks me out. It's right next to the pool so it always smells like chlorine. It makes me feel like I'm in some chlorine gas death chamber.

You should be able to drop decent water weight in either, though.

[BeastoftheEast]

Originally Posted by Nezzer

The steam room freaks me out. It's right next to the pool so it always smells like chlorine. It makes me feel like I'm in some chlorine gas death chamber.

You should be able to drop decent water weight in either, though.

Are you jewish?

[kadumel]

Any other thoughts?

[EyeNeyE**]

I think Saunas make you sweat more. Kind of like being in a desert versus somewhere humid. the sweat kind of clings to you in a steam room, it evaporates more in a sauna.

I've always heard of people cutting in a sauna. never in a steam room.

[TMMAray]

A couple answers

1. Personal preference
2. Most people prefer a sauna, but the reason for this is still up for debate.
3. Sweat evaporating faster in a sauna will not make you sweat more. Your body will continue sweating as long as your body temperature is elevated beyond a certain point. Your body does not increase/decrease the amount that you sweat based upon whether or not it is collecting on your skin. The only exception to this is if somehow the sauna is so dry and hot that sweat is not accumulating on your skin, in which case you will sweat more profusely. If that is the case, however, you should probably get out of that sauna before it kills you.
4. Personally, I have always liked to get in the steam room for 5 minutes or so, and then the sauna for 10-15, followed by enough rest outside to be ready to go again. I feel that just going by how you feel is the best way to do this, rather than a set "____ minutes in, ____minutes out, repeat" style. Mandates like that are the kind of thing that make people fall out.

So ultimately...yeah...do what you prefer. Also, your body will not absorb any appreciable amount of water if you shower after cutting (other than if your hair was dry before the shower, but that should be obvious). Your skin has already been soaked with your sweat (which is hypotonic, so if your skin did absorb substantial amounts of water, which it doesn't, but if it did, it would have already absorbed sweat to the point of equilibrium across the membrane), so a shower is not going to cause any more water to enter your system. Also, a shower is just water washing over you, which you then dry off. This situation would not be conducive to absorbing a significant amount even if your skin was ridiculously permeable...which it isn't.

In summary: Do whichever feels best, and a shower is fine.

[kadumel]

Thanks guys. I have about 5-6 lbs at least to cut tomorrow in the Sauna / Steam room so it is good to hear other peoples experiences.