FitSugar

Why You Sweat More Than Your Exercise Buddy

FitSugar — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 11:10:19 PST

You're trucking along on the treadmill and as you reach for a towel to wipe off the perspiration on your forehead, you can't help but notice the guy to the right who's sweating so much. It looks like he jumped in a river. Why is it that some people sweat like crazy and some are barely glistening?

First off, sweating is the body's way of cooling itself off and maintaining a healthy temperature. You're born with between two and four million sweat glands. Women have more sweat glands than men, but men's glands are more active. How much you sweat depends on your gender, the number of sweat glands you have (more glands equal more sweat), how hot it is, how intensely you're exercising, or how anxious you feel.

The amount a person sweats also depends on how many sweat glands are activated and how much sweat is excreted from each gland. It turns out that fit men sweat significantly more than fit women. The same amount of sweat glands might be activated, but women produce less sweat from each gland. Fit people sweat more efficiently by sweating sooner during workouts, when their body temperature is lower. However, a sedentary person working at the same intensity will heat up a lot faster and possibly sweat more. Also, overweight people sweat more profusely than normal-weight individuals because fat acts as an insulator that raises core temperature.

Unfortunately, some people suffer from excessive sweating, a common condition called Hyperhidrosis. Their bodies' faucets turn on and their palms, feet, back, and face become covered in sweat, even if it's cold out or they're not moving. If this sounds familiar, consult your doctor to see what treatment options are available.

From the Fit Community: Does More Sweat Equal a Better Workout?

Fit Community — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 13:16:28 PDT

Is your workout better the sweatier it gets? FitSugar reader livingthin asks an expert and posted the answer in our 10 Pounds DOWN! community group.

Q: "Is how much a person sweats during a workout a good indicator as to how hard a person works?" – RI Jones

A: Great question RI! Since our workouts are often sweat filled sessions, we were anxious to know the answer to this one too. We asked Michele Olson, Ph.D., professor of exercise science at Auburn University in Alabama to tackle this question. This was her response:

"The reason we sweat is to control our body's temperature. When liquid hits our skin (from the inside) and then evaporates, the evaporation is cooling. However, this is not the most accurate indicator of how intensely you are working out or how many calories you are expending. In fact, you actually burn more calories running outdoors in the cold versus summer in the heat."

Read more on what Dr. Olson has to say about calorie-burning after the break!

Manduka eQua Mat Towel: Good 'Til the Last Drop

Michele Foley — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 02:19:43 PDT

I'm not taking Bikram, but lately my teacher has been turning the temperature way up in my yoga class. The higher temp, the more I sweat. Besides not wanting to look like a drippy mess in class, the extra perspiration makes it hard to stay put on even the best of mats. After nearly slipping onto my face during Downward Dog, I knew that it was time to invest in a good towel. Enter the Manduka eQua Mat Towel ($40).

It's a lot of money to spend on a towel, but it's the only one that really works for my practice. Standard towels are rough on my skin, don't dry fast enough, and move around and bunch up on my mat. They also don't offer great traction when a little damp. My Manduka towel is the exact opposite: the texture reminds me of a car chamois because of its soft suede-like texture, and it performs like one too! It dries immediately after using it, stays put on my mat, and has a slight traction to it that stands up to dampness. Major win.

Why I Wear Men's Deodorant

Heather Dale — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 11:05:16 PST

Allow me to preface this piece by saying that I'm not some tree-hugging hippie who doesn't shave her legs. Confession: I am more eco than not, but when it comes to the products I slather on my body, I am very mindful of what gets absorbed into my body through my skin.

In terms of deodorant selection, it's been an on-going dilemma - do I go the all-natural route and opt for the aluminum-, artificial preservative-, and synthetic-free deodorants that won't mask my stinky after-gym odors? Or do I buy the generic drugstore brand that will keep me sweat-free and smelling like freesia throughout the day?

Here's the thing, it hasn't been proven that antiperspirants cause breast cancer, but I'm still not comfortable with wearing deodorant that blocks my sweat glands and contains aluminum.

Continue reading to see why my medicine cabinet looks like this.

Does Sweating Make You Feel Sexy?

FitSugar — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 12:30:52 PDT

The contestants on Thintervention are starting to see the results of their intense workouts and diet changes thanks to their dedication and trainer Jackie Warner's guidance. In an effort to celebrate their changing bodies, Jackie invited Robin Antin of the Pussycat Dolls to work with the crew on last night's "Sweat Is Sexy" episode. Antin's moves offered the gang the opportunity to let loose, express some passion, and most of all, sweat. And for the most part, the contestants jumped at the chance.

I happen to feel empowered when I sweat, but sexy isn't necessarily the right adjective. What about you?

View 5 Photos ›

Photos courtesy of Bravo

Sweat, Sit-Ups, and Soreness: 3 Fitness Myths Debunked

Michele Foley — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 08:00:45 PDT

You know, there's a lot of mumbo- jumbo health advice out there that's easy to write off - don't eat carbs, but eat ALL the bacon you want! But somewhere between the crackpot ideas and sound advice, there's also stuff that sounds pretty believable. To help you wade through the murk, we've deflated three popular fitness myths.

No pain, no gain. This catchphrase was born sometime in the '80s, probably around the time aerobics instructors began chanting, "Feel the burn - doesn't it feel so good?!" Uh, no. Pain isn't pretty, people! It's your body's way of saying, "Hey can we stop for a minute or pick up where we left off tomorrow?" And while a little soreness after a workout is OK, pay attention to your body. Overdoing it means you could be out for days - even weeks. If you hurt during a workout, make sure you're doing the exercise correctly, take a break, or call it a day.
A six-pack is only 100 sit-ups away. The downside: fat doesn't turn into muscle, so doing crunches 'til you're red in the face won't get you a flat belly. The upside: cardio does wonders for the midsection. To make belly fat melt away, do high-intensity cardio workouts like spinning or interval training. But, hey, don't stop with the crunches; strong abs are part of a strong core, which is exponentially beneficial. And when that jiggle in the middle is gone, a toned, tight tummy will be waiting for you.
The more sweat, the better the workout. Sweating is pretty synonymous with working out, but it isn't necessarily a measure of how effective your workout is. Yes, sweating is the body's way of cooling off (and we can all attest to getting a little overheated during our workouts), but some people just sweat more than others. If you want a good indicator of your workout, measure your heart rate and calories burned.

DrSugar Answers: Why Suddenly So Sweaty?

DrSugar — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 07:00:41 PDT

DrSugar is in the house! And she's answering your health-related questions.

Dear DrSugar,
I used to never sweat as much as I do now that I started working out. I am now 21 years old and recently started working out; when I would exercise at a younger age, I would not sweat as much. What does that mean?
- Suddenly Sweaty

First, I’d like to commend you on initiating an exercise program! Physical fitness is very important not only for your health, but for your mental well-being as well. Your question is a great one and I’m sure that other FitSugar readers have wondered about their own perspiration patterns. The one piece of information I do not have in this question is whether or not your increased sweating is only occurring during exercise or if it is all the time. I'm going to assume it's only during exercise, and to see my answer to this question, please continue reading.

No Sweat: Four Ways to Quit Overheating and Start Looking Hot

BellaSugar — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 06:00:22 PDT

It's sweltering out, and no matter what you do, you are gonna get sweaty, which also means stinky. Little old Southern ladies dust on loads of scented talcum powder to absorb and deodorize body sweat, but I can't say that it's the best modern solution to the problem. Instead, I've come up with a few forward-thinking tips to help you nip the sweat monster in the bud, so keep reading.

Can You Sweat These Facts?

FitSugar — Tue, 19 May 2009 04:30:00 PDT

Whether you love it or hate it, working up a sweat is a natural part of working out. But do you know what's going on in your body when you perspire? Take my quiz and see if you can sweat the facts about sweating.

Source

Take the Quiz

You Asked: Is It Unhealthy to Wear Antiperspirant While Exercising?

FitSugar — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 13:10:00 PDT

Dear Fit,
I'm a big fan of wearing antiperspirant because I don't want to be stinky. Recently though, a friend of mine told me it was unhealthy to wear it while exercising because antiperspirant prevents your body from naturally excreting harmful toxins. Is this true?
- Pondering Antiperspirant Pam

This is a wonderful question as exercise and sweating go hand in hand. To hear what I have to say on the matter,

read more. Sweating is your body's natural way of regulating your body temperature. When you're hot, your body emits moisture from its sweat glands to cool you down. If you wear an antiperspirant, the aluminum used in them penetrates your sweat glands and squeezes them shut, which prevents you from perspiring. Don't worry about the idea that sweating releases toxins, since only trace amounts of toxins are present in your sweat. Remember that sweat's only purpose is to cool you off. Since your armpits aren't the only place you have sweat glands, your body can still find a way to lower your body temp if you get too hot while exercising. So as long as you can wear antiperspirant while working out without overheating, you can feel good about slathering it on to prevent odor. If you do feel it's unhealthy to stop your body from sweating, you can buy deodorant without antiperspirant, which will help control odor but won't prevent perspiration. On a related note, you may have heard that aluminum in antiperspirants causes breast cancer, which is what your friend may be referring to as harmful, but that myth has been debunked. Source