Get Your Sweat On!

I was working sprint intervals on the treadmill when a personal trainer and friend of mine remarked, “Man, you have an amazing cooling system.” Translation: You sweat like a pig! In the fitness world, this is a great thing.

Why is that? Why are fitness enthusiasts and athletes so proud to sweat? To answer that, a few things need to be clarified about sweat. Not all sweat is equal. Humans sweat due to stress, nervousness, and illness, which can sometimes produce hyperhidrosis; excessive sweating. But the kind of sweat discussed here – the good kind - is produced by physical activity.

How Do We Sweat?

The human body is most efficient at 98.6 degrees F. Once that temperature begins to rise, the hypothalamus, a part of the brain that controls temperature, immediately sends a message to the body, signaling it to sweat. As sweat hits the air, the cooling process begins to prevent overheating. All sweat is equal and neither is the athlete who sweats.1

Who Sweats?

According to Dr. Craig Crandall, professor of internal medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, how much a person sweats has much to do with physical health and genetics. Simply put, humans have anywhere from two to four million sweat glands.2 While women have more sweat glands than men, males (on average) sweat more based on sheer size.

In a 2010 study in Japan, researchers compared physically fit with sedentary people and found the fit subjects began sweating sooner during exercise. In fact, lead researcher and co-author Dr. Yoshimitsu of Osaka International University found the more fit the athlete, the more sweat was produced. Dr. Crandall concurred, “A high fitness level allows you to rise at a higher workload, which generates more heat, which in turn leads to more sweat.”3

Who Doesn’t Sweat?

But there are people who, despite hard workouts, cannot sweat. This is the opposite of

hyperhidrosis, which is hypohidrosis. Those who have this condition must be careful as it is easy to overheat, which can lead to heat exhaustion or even heat stroke!

While researchers do not know why some have more or less sweat glands than others, it is known that there are definite benefits to sweating:

• Endorphin Pick-Me Up. Sweating results in a higher release of endorphins, the “feel-good” hormone.
• Detox. A 2011 study, published in the journal Archives of Environmental and Contamination Toxicology, found many toxic elements appeared to be excreted through sweat.
• Lowers Kidney Stones Risk. The American Urology Association has determined that sweating helps flush out the system more efficiently because it demands more hydration.
• Lowers Chances of Illness. “Sweat contains antimicrobial peptides effective against viruses, bacteria, and fungi. These peptides are positively charged and attract negatively charged bacterial, enter the membranes of bacteria, and break them down,” said Dr. Diane de Fiori, a research dermatologist. Researchers believe these natural substances are more effective than traditional antibiotics in the long-term, because germs are not capable of quickly developing resistance to the peptides.
• Improved Skin. Sweat helps flush out pores and when cleaned after a workout, makes for a better, healthier complexion.4

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1Roberts McMurray, A. (n.d.). Why Do You Sweat.

2http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003218.htm. (n.d.)

3Heid, M. (July 8, 2015). TIME. “You Asked.” Is It Healthy to Sweat A Lot?

4Borreli, L. (November 7, 2014). Medical Daily. Sweat it Out! 5 Superior Health Benefits of Sweating that Actually Don’t Suck.