Tough exercise for a body is necessary to maintain it fit, bringing out a lot of sweat at the same time. It’s not something bad but on the contrary means Fat Burning and Weight loss.
Sweat is associated with every hard effort and training, meaning burning body fat carried by the body to save valuable energy.
The process of sweating during exercise, however, has another very important role, maintaining the body’s internal temperature at normal levels.
With the intense effort for performing the exercises, the body temperature rises to unbelievable highs. This is the reason forcing the body to release fluids through the sweat glands of the skin for achieving a lower temperature.
Sweating during training sessions is not a bad thing, in fact, is a sign that exercise is working and the body is burning fat.
Below we see some of the most important of these cases and which of them should worry us.
The majority of people as soon as come under stress, start sweating and feeling uncomfortable. Armpits and palms full of sweat.
Sweat coming out from our body is composed of 99% water, with the remaining 1% being minerals
It is directed via skin’s sweat glands, being evaporated creating a cold coating on skin as soon as it comes in contact with the external atmosphere, aiming at lowering the body’s internal temperature which was on the rise due to the increased stress.
What most people may not have noticed is that sweat is not always the same.
Sometimes carries a bad odor, more oily, viscous and sticky, while other times lighter, odorless, carrying more water.
The smell of sweat might have dangerous or non-dangerous consequences.
What is certain is that sweat from the environment heat carries a smaller amount of odor, than the sweat coming from hard physical exertion (such as fitness training or hard physical work).
On the contrary, the sweat coming from sudden development of stress, fear or insecurity (usually accompanied by an increase in adrenaline levels) is obviously heavier, with a higher amount of odor, thicker, leaves a feeling of “glue” on the skin.
This is due to the adrenaline released by adrenal glands in the body due to ALERT condition that has caused the anxiety attack.
In fact, this particular sweat does not have the same composition with the sweat brought out by our body during training. It is 80% water, while the remaining 20% is a combination of proteins and lipids.
This secretion of proteins and lipids causes the bad and heavy odor in this sweat.
Very low blood sugar levels usually accompanied by a variety of physical symptoms, include what is called the “cold sweat”.
Intense sweating followed by nausea, blurred vision, palpitations, shivering, ringing in the ears, fainting.
If this happens once, it is not a cause for concern, as it may be due to aphasia or severe fatigue.
However, if it is recurrent then you should definitely undergo testing, as it can be a sign of diabetes.
The symptoms usually subside as soon as the person eats or drinks something sweet immediately after the event.
In certain cases, people present sweat leaving white and leaving scars, due to salt. Usually people with “salty sweat” are those drinking large amounts of water within 24 hours.
Furthermore, salty sweat may occur in people not consuming sufficient amounts of salt in their diet.
People with salty sweat are more at risk of dehydration.
For this reason, the consumption of electrolytes recommended is necessary, especially if the person is exercising.
Menstruation, menopause and pregnancy are sensitive periods for every woman involving significant hormonal changes in body.
As you have heard from many women, these hormonal changes, usually accompanied by intense hot flashes and increased sweating, it is not a coincidence.
Hormone transitions affect the body’s thermostat, resulting to brain receiving the wrong message on body’s internal temperature, so secreting sweat, trying to fix the problem.
Most of women (more than 80%) experience similar hot flashes during the hormonal changes.
As already mentioned, sweat may carry odor, but it can also be with no odor at all.
In the case of increased stress, sweat carries a bad odor due to the secretion of proteins & lipids.
On the contrary, in other cases, the sweat carries no odor at all normally.
Why then do so many people carry this bad odor after their workouts?
Sweat, as mentioned before, in these cases is light in texture and odorless. The bad odor of sweat after physical exercise in a person is responsible for its association with various fungi, germs and bacteria. As soon as these bacteria join the sweat, begin to “dissolve” it, consuming it and metabolizing it, a fact resulting in this bad odor mentioned above.
We always hear that sweat helps to remove dangerous toxins from body, promoting good health.
Probably this is the one of the biggest myths circulating in recent years, “brainwashing” many people.
In fact, sweat is nothing more than water and a little salt.
Removing toxins from body requires a different process involving 2 very basic organs: The liver & kidneys.
Excessive sweat production and secretion – sometimes – can also be worrying, as might foretell a serious condition. For example, hyperthyroidism and Parkinson’s disease are diseases presenting intense sweating as a symptom.
Furthermore, hormonal problems can be another reason leading to excessive sweat secretion.
Finally, even gout or cancer are likely to cause heavy sweating (especially during nighttime sleep).
In certain cases, the body might produce high amounts of sweat, related to the problematic regulation of body’s internal temperature.
In this case, we are referring to sweating as a condition, also known as “hyperhidrosis”.
This is a not a very common pathological condition, usually occurring between 20 and 40 years of age.
Just 3% of population shows this condition (men and women).
Primary focal hyperhidrosis has no clear causes treated with medication and special treatments.
In some cases, laser treatment or even intra-dermal injections applied for reducing sweat production and secretion.
During summer, we all sweat due to the increased heat, especially in case we do manual work, sports or gymnastics. Sweating is extremely increased (so experts recommend baths on the beach to be adequately hydrated).
Rackets on the beach, beach volley on the hot sand, play with children and suddenly feeling headache, dizziness, agitation, nausea, nervousness and exhaustion.
Heat stroke is one of the most serious dangers especially during the hot summer months and especially for those exercising or move a lot.
Insufficient water consumption might lead to heatstroke as a simple illness, or even in a severe form might reach a coma.
Drinking coffee or consumption of alcoholic beverages leading the body to further dehydration and exhaustion would not help.
A person showing signs of heatstroke should immediately get away from the sun and go to a shady and cool place, consuming plenty of fluids (preferably water or electrolytes) and remaining immobile until improvement of its condition.
The person may remain depressed for several days and might have gastrointestinal abnormalities (mainly diarrhea or vomiting), as well.
If times goes on and the person not shows signs of improvement, transfer to a hospital for additional neurological examinations is the best solution.
In certain cases there might be a sign of a neurological condition foretelling a problem with heart function, requiring immediate treatment.
A recommendation for limiting food as: