Don’t Sweat It (myths continued)
July 24, 2017
Myth: The more you sweat the more calories or fat you burn.
Example: Using a Sauna to lose weight OR wearing a sweater in a hot gym while working out.
Facts: Sweating is your body’s natural reaction to regulate its temperature and cool itself off.
The problem with this is it’s almost entirely water weight and dehydration. Being dehydrated limits your body's ability to function properly--cognitively and physiologically--meaning your body isn’t functioning to its full potential.
Other factors could be stress, anxiety, nerves or a fluctuation in hormone levels.
So why do some people sweat more than others? There could be several reason you are/are not sweating more than the person next to you: genetics, gender, age, the external environment, weight and fitness level.
Fitness level is an interesting variable. Sometimes a fitter person may start sweating sooner because their body is efficient and trained at regulating the body's temperature.
Ways to stay cool and beat the heat:
Stay hydrated throughout the entire day, not just the time around your workout! If you’re dehydrated going into a workout, this limits your body's ability to cool itself off effectively; if you stop sweating and you’re in a particularly high-heat environment, this could lead to more severe problems, such as heatstroke.
Wear appropriate workout attire. Clothes that wick sweat away from the body are
particularly good at helping you stay cool. On the other hand, clothes that cover a lot of surface area and are non breathable will cause your body to retain heat and potentially overheat.
If for some reason you think you may sweat excessively, there is a rare condition called hyperhidrosis, which is a disorder where the nerves connected to the sweat gland are overactive, causing more profuse sweating than normal. If you think you may have this, you should consult your physician about it.
Now that you know a little more about your body and why it does what it does, don’t be afraid to get out there and sweat a little this summer!
Stay hydrated, be safe and have fun!
Written By Andrew Milne
P.S. If you are interested in a guide on exercise selection, see our latest blog post.