Is it possible to burn the same number of calories sitting in an infrared sauna as you do running or doing other vigor ous exercise? As it turns out, making light work on your waistline could be a smart choice. Judge for yourself.

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Firstly, you need to understand how an infrared sauna actually works. A conventional hot-air sauna must rely only on indirect means of heat, with convention (air currents) and then conduction (direct contact of hot air with the skin) to produce its effect on us. In an infrared sauna, less than 20% of the infrared energy heats the air, leaving over 80% available to be directly converted  to heat within our bodies. As a result. infrared energy hay induce up to 2-3 times the sweat volume of a traditional hot-air sauna while operating at a significantly cooler air temperature range of 43'C - 54'C vs. 82'C - 113'C for hot-air saunas.

Due to the deep penetration, over 1.5* into the skin, of the infrared rays, there is a heating effect deep in the muscular tissues and the internal organs. The body responds to this deep-heating effect via a hypothalamic-increase in both heat volume and rate. Medial researchers confirm that the use of a far infrared sauna provides cardiovascular conditioning as the body works to cool itself and involes increases in heat rate, cardiac output and metabolic rate.

Guyton's Textbook of medical Physiology says one gram of sweat requires 0.568 kcal. The Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) states, "A moderately conditioned person can easily sweat oft 500 grams in a sauna consuming nearly, 300 kcal which is equivalent to running 2-3 miles. A heat-conditioned person can easily sweat off 600-800 kcal with no adverse effects. while the weight of the water loss can be regained by drinking water the calories consumed will not be."

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Two of the highest calories-consuming forms of exercises are rowing and running. Peak output on a rowing machine or during a run is about 600 calories in 30 minutes depending on body size and fitness levels. Based on Guyton's sweat formula and fact that amount of sweat generated in an infrared sauna is 2-3 times that of a traditional sauna it could be possible to burn between 900 - 2,400 calories in a 30 minute session.

In addition, an infrared sauna session:

• Raises the body's basal metabolic rate (the rate cells burn energy when resting) so that the cells burn calories at a higher level for several hours after a sauna (or exercise) is completed.

• Removes heavy metals, which have been directly rerated to metabolic imbalances in the body, causing poor digestion and weight gain.

• Decreases fat stored (lipophilic) toxins. Often weight loss can not be accomplished unless these toxins are removed first.

An infrared sauna can thus play a pivotal role it both weight control and cardiovascular conditioning. Used by the American Olympic team at the Sydney games, the infrared sauna makes it possible even for people in wheelchairs, or those who are otherwise unable to exert themselves, to achieve a cardiovascular training benefit.