Steam Room Calories Burned Calculator
Calculate calories burned in a steam room session with humidity adjustment. Higher humidity creates more cardiovascular strain and calorie burn than dry saunas.
Steam Room - High humidity (typically 100%) creates more cardiovascular strain than dry saunas, resulting in higher calorie burn.
Recommended: 15-20 minutes per session
Typical steam room: 35-55°C
Steam rooms typically maintain 100% humidity
About the Steam Room Calories Burned Calculator
Learn more about the calculator and its creator
Jonas
I created this steam room calculator to help spa-goers understand how humidity affects calorie burn. Steam rooms create unique cardiovascular stress that differs from dry saunas, and this calculator reflects that difference.
Steam Room Calories Burned Calculator
A 20-minute steam room session burns approximately 60 to 90 calories depending on body weight and humidity level.
Steam rooms create a unique thermal environment with high humidity (typically 100%) at lower temperatures (40-50°C). This combination prevents sweat evaporation, creating higher cardiovascular strain than dry saunas and resulting in greater calorie expenditure.
Why Steam Rooms Burn More Calories
The high humidity in steam rooms prevents your body's primary cooling mechanism - sweat evaporation. This forces your cardiovascular system to work harder:
- Heart rate elevates to 110-160 bpm (higher than dry saunas)
- Increased blood flow to skin for heat dissipation
- Higher metabolic demand to maintain core temperature
- MET values of 2.5-3.5 (vs 1.5-2.5 for dry saunas)
Steam Room Calorie Burn by Duration
| Weight | 10 min | 15 min | 20 min | 30 min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60 kg (132 lbs) | 30 kcal | 45 kcal | 60 kcal | 90 kcal |
| 70 kg (154 lbs) | 35 kcal | 53 kcal | 70 kcal | 105 kcal |
| 80 kg (176 lbs) | 40 kcal | 60 kcal | 80 kcal | 120 kcal |
| 90 kg (198 lbs) | 45 kcal | 68 kcal | 90 kcal | 135 kcal |
Steam Room vs Sauna Calorie Comparison
For a 70 kg person spending 20 minutes:
- Steam Room (45°C, 100% humidity): ~70 calories
- Finnish Sauna (90°C, low humidity): ~58 calories
- Dry Sauna (80°C, low humidity): ~47 calories
- Infrared Sauna (55°C): ~35 calories
How the Humidity Affects Calorie Burn
Our calculator adjusts the base MET value based on humidity level:
- 80% humidity: Base 3.0 MET
- 90% humidity: ~3.3 MET (+0.3 adjustment)
- 100% humidity: ~3.6 MET (+0.6 adjustment)
Higher humidity means more cardiovascular work to cool your body.
Benefits of Steam Rooms
- Opens airways and helps with respiratory conditions
- Hydrates skin (unlike dry saunas)
- Muscle relaxation and pain relief
- Improved circulation
- Stress reduction
Recommended Session Duration
Due to the higher cardiovascular strain, steam room sessions should be shorter than dry sauna sessions:
- Beginners: 5-10 minutes
- Intermediate: 10-15 minutes
- Experienced: 15-20 minutes maximum
Caution: The high humidity makes it harder to perceive overheating. Exit immediately if you feel dizzy, nauseous, or your heart is racing uncomfortably. Steam rooms are not recommended for those with cardiovascular conditions, respiratory infections, or during pregnancy.
Note: For general sauna calculations, use our main Sauna Calorie Calculator which includes all sauna types.
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