Is Sweating Good For You?

The hot days of summer can leave you in a sweaty mess. Severe sweating can even ruin your summer plans, forcing you to stay indoors to hide sweat stains and embarrassing odors. Perhaps this is why words like “sticky” and “hot” pop up in our minds when we think about sweating. But let’s look at the other side of the coin. Sweating helps to cool down the body (1). Water is released through skin glands, evaporates from the skin, and makes you feel cool. During a physical workout, muscles heat more, and more sweat is needed. This article answers one of the most common questions – is sweating good for you? An explanation of the benefits of sweating during exercise will probably change your perception. Have a look!

Why Is Sweating Good For You?

Believe it or not, human skin, the largest organ of our bodies, is essentially our third kidney. Sweat glands filter toxins from the body, positively impacting our immune system (2).

Sweating lowers the overall body temperature and keeps it cool. There are two ways in which people sweat:

• The eccrine glands produce sweat, regulate the body temperature, and are found all over the body (3).
• The apocrine glands are associated with hair follicles. These glands produce sweat when triggered by emotional stressors like anxiety and fear. Alongside, you may also experience a strong body odor.

Is Sweating Good For You When You Workout?

Human bodies tend to overheat if they don’t sweat. Some activities that cause sweating are harmful to health. These include anxiety, heat strokes, and illness. On the other hand, activities such as exercise and a controlled duration in the sauna are healthy (4).

Sweating during exercise benefits people in multiple ways. Here are all the ways workout perspiration can help your mental and physical health:

May Help To Lose Weight

Sweating is considered to help in weight loss. Since sweat is made up of water, the weight you shed is considered water weight (5). However, you may regain the water weight after consuming water post-exercise. But because your body works out so hard, you also lose energy and burn calories. This may contribute to permanent weight loss.

Read More: HIIT Vs Cardio For Weight Loss And Health Benefits: Which One Should You Do?

Removes Toxins

Sweat may help remove certain toxins from your body. A 2012 study discovered that sweating is vital in removing heavy metals like cadmium, lead, and mercury from the body because they can readily dissolve in water (6). Simultaneously, one should focus on other factors like drinking filtered water and following a healthy diet to prevent other low-dose chemical threats.

May Help With Muscle Recovery

Sweat during exercise may aid in muscle recovery. It boosts circulation and helps to flush out lactic acid. This may alleviate soreness and helps in muscle recovery.

May Improve Heart Health

When you put your body in a situation where it needs to cool itself through sweating, it can get your heart pumping like a cardio workout. Hence, exercise or sitting in a sauna environment may reduce the risk of cardiovascular problems (7).

May Increase Immunity

Inactivity and obesity may reduce the function of the immune system, but engaging in a healthy diet and physical activity can help improve the immune system. An enhanced immune system and an improved elimination of waste and toxins through intense sweating may increase your overall health and resistance to diseases.

Uplifts Your Mood

Everybody experiences sweating when working out. This releases endorphins, the hormones that trigger positive emotions in your body. This can create a strong positive impact on your emotional and mental well-being.

It doesn’t mean that you expose yourself to an intense workout routine under the blazing summer sun. It would be best if you tried to find a regime that works for you and helps you to feel the best effects of this natural body function. Also, try to overcome the exhaustion of the workout by drinking plenty of water when you finish the routine.

May Reduce The Risk Of Kidney Stones

You may think your body isn’t adjusting well to your chosen exercise when you make fewer trips to the bathroom. But when it comes to kidney stones, it is a good thing. You make fewer trips to the bathroom when you sweat profusely during exercise. This reduces the chance of stone-creating minerals gathering in the urinary tract and kidneys.

Unclogs The Pores

Sweating may help to improve acne. It opens the pores, allowing all the dirt, bacteria, and oil to move out. For this to happen, you shouldn’t shower or wash your face immediately after the exercise, so the bacteria doesn’t move back inside.

Amps Your Workout Performance

The better your body gets at sweating, the cooler your core temperature feels. This also allows you to work out harder for an extended duration. A research study discovered that subjects who participated in aerobics training four times per week for eight weeks, either on a treadmill or bicycle, improved their fitness at an average rate of 19 percent (8).

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Can You Sweat Too Little Or Too Much?

The human body is made of 60 percent to 75 percent water. Maintaining an adequate hydration level is key to retaining overall positive health. Sweating too much or too little isn’t dangerous, but you should watch out for other red flags to ensure you aren’t ignoring any severe health condition.

Hyperhidrosis is when a person faces extreme, uncontrollable sweating (9). This may be linked to diabetes, infections, thyroid problems, and cancers, including leukemia and lymphoma (10). You should consult your doctor if you sweat profusely without any physical activity or wake up with drenched sheets. They will help you to find out the root cause of this problem and devise a plan to fix it.

Further, finding a cure for excessive sweating is essential as it may lead to dehydration when you aren’t consuming sufficient water. Severe dehydration can lead to:

• Heat stroke
• Extreme loss of electrolytes
• Kidney damage
• Cardiovascular damage
• Fall in strength and endurance
• Hyperthermia

Sweating during a workout benefits your body, but you should supply your body with adequate water to keep it functional. Instead of waiting until you feel thirsty, try to stay hydrated throughout the day and during exercise. Meanwhile, look for signs of dehydration like dizziness, exhaustion, confusion, and weak or rapid pulse. Don’t hesitate to stop all activities and seek the assistance of a doctor to deal with these problems.

When experts are asked questions like “is sweating good for you?” They often recommend you monitor your sweat. Even when you aren’t sweating excessively, you should keep an eye on any signs of abnormal sweating. Signs like an unusually stinky smell and acidic sweat are indicators that something isn’t right. It would help if you asked your medical professional to help you deal with these circumstances.

Read More: Elliptical Weight Loss – Enjoy Low-Impact Training And Shed Those Calories

How To Counter Fluid Loss When Sweating?

Sweating is a natural bodily function. It tends to increase during hot, humid days and when you are working out. On the contrary, it decreases during the winter or when a person isn’t indulging in intense physical activity.

Maintaining an adequate fluid level in your body is crucial to ensure it doesn’t lose excessive fluids. Some steps you can take to counteract the fluid loss are:

• Drink water throughout the day, not only when you feel thirsty or worn out
• Avoid caffeine and alcoholic drinks, which may heighten the effects of dehydration
• Be careful not to drink sugary drinks or fruit juices
• When working out or in intensified physical activity, consider replacing lost electrolytes with food or drinks that are rich in them. For instance, fish, chicken, yogurt, milk, sweet potatoes, bananas, avocados, and pomegranates contain over 300 mg of potassium in a single serving.

The Bottom Line

Sweating isn’t bad at all. You should ensure that you maintain a healthy nutritional intake and drink adequate water to keep your body in shape. Sometimes, when you ask a doctor, “is sweating good for you?” they may ask you to describe things like its odor and volume. Instead of shying away from such questions, one should answer openly. This will allow the physician to understand if your body is ready for the workouts and whether you should take some measures to deal with your sweating condition.