Heavy sweating during exercise would seem to be a sign that you’re pushing yourself hard and burning lots of calories. In fact, that may not always be the case. Our Healthy Skeptic reveals why lower-sweat workouts can be just as effective.
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT
The Claim: More sweating means a better workout.
Woman: “I sweat a lot when I exercise, then I feel like I’m getting a really good workout.”
Robert Davis: When I exercise at the gym, I’m careful about wiping off the equipment after I use it because I tend to leave big puddles of sweat behind. Now that would seem to be a sign that I’m pushing myself hard and burning lots of calories. But maybe I shouldn’t be so quick to pat myself on my… sweaty back.
When body temperature rises, our natural cooling system kicks into action. Our glands secrete sweat, and the evaporation of moisture from our skin helps us cool off.
How much you sweat doesn’t necessarily correlate with how hard you’re working out or how many calories you’re burning.
Your sweat level actually depends on a number of factors, including:
Gender… men tend to sweat more than women.
Age… younger people sweat more.
Genetics… temperature…. And humidity.
Weight plays a role as well. Larger people generally sweat more because their bodies generate more heat.
Fitness level also matters. Surprisingly, fit people tend to sweat sooner during exercise and more heavily than those who are less fit. That’s because their body’s heat-regulating system is more efficient, cooling them down faster.
Don’t be misled by the loss of a few pounds after a high-sweat workout. This is simply water weight that you gain back and doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve burned lots of calories.
On the flip side, don’t assume that a low-sweat workout means you aren’t exerting yourself enough. It could be that your sweat evaporates quickly because you’re exercising, say, near a fan. Or, unlike me, you simply may not sweat much. Whatever the case, don’t sweat it.
Helping you be a healthy skeptic, I’m Robert Davis.