Sweat is incredible. It is produced by glands on the surface of our skin. If we didn’t produce sweat during a workout or on a hot day, we would overheat within minutes!
Although men and women have the same number of sweat glands, they do not sweat at the same rate! In fact, no two people will sweat in the same way because are so many contributing factors as to why we sweat… For example, fat acts as an insulator and therefore people with more fat generally sweat more. Whereas, a person who is dehydrated may sweat very little.
Cleanse inside and out
Think of sweat as your personal, automated, filtration system. It drains out the nasty stuff we consume such as alcohol and salt and releases it through tiny holes in our skin called pours. Sweating is like a natural body detox! As sweat is released, our skin is cleaned out which stops our pours from being clogged and blemishes from appearing.
Release endorphins
Releasing toxins through your sweat produces a natural high. A study published in 2009 by Biology Letters suggests that training within groups actually increases your endorphin levels and causes less pain compared to those who train alone.
Fight off infection
A scientist called Birgit Schittek and her team at Eberhard-Karls-University at Tubingen in Germany found that getting hot and bothered helps to prevent infections such as colds because it contains a antimicrobial peptide named Dermcidin. She suggests that “it probably plays a key role in the innate immune responses of the skin“.
… Despite the many great benefits of sweating, sweating excessively or unnaturally can create health problems. For example, Coffee is a trigger for unnatural sweating. You should also stay away from unnatural fibres in sporting fabrics and start buying more natural and breathable fibres such as Cotton.
So, what if we stopped sweating altogether?
Some people suffer from an inability to sweat, this is called Anhidrosis. Anhidrosis is where your sweat glands in any area of the body are no long working properly. This condition can lead to some quite serious outcomes such as heatstroke – which can be life-threatening.
Many factors can contribute to Anhidrosis such as skin trauma, medication, and diseases.
It can also be inherited or developed although it is unclear how many people suffer from this problem because many people don’t report it or are unaware of it.
If you are looking to sweat, 4Core fitness recommends the following sessions:
If you have any queries – please, get in touch.