The Sweatiest Thing
By Joe Wilkes
From the Million Dollar Body Club - Join Today and Workout to
Win!
 Perspiration, or sweating, is an important and unavoidable part
of any decent workout. In fact, you'll find plenty of workout titles that
contain the word "sweat." So why are we trying to make you sweat so much and
what does sweat do for us anyway? Why is it that some of us sweat more than
others and what can we do to lessen sweat's smelly sidekick, body odor?
A tale of two glands
The human body contains about 2.8
million sweat glands, a complex subcutaneous misting system that operates all
day, all night, over almost every inch of your body, to help keep you cool.
Even if you think you're not sweating, you are—the amount of fluid is just
so small that it evaporates almost immediately.
 There are two general types of sweat glands:
eccrine glands and apocrine glands. The
eccrine glands are the most common ones. They excrete water with a little bit
of sodium pretty much any place you have skin. This is the sweat on your palms,
your feet, and your face, and the sweat that pours out in buckets after a good
workout. The apocrine glands are located primarily under your arms and in the
genital area. In addition to water and saline, the apocrine glands also excrete
small amounts of fat and protein. This is what turns the armpits of your
T-shirts yellow. (There is also a third type of sweat gland, the ceruminous
gland, that produces ear wax, and is located in, duh, your ear).
Sweat itself is odorless—it's the
bacteria on your skin that causes body odor. When fat and protein are excreted
by the apocrine glands, they are metabolized by the bacteria, creating that
unpleasant, all-too-familiar odor. Our apocrine glands don't usually get fired
up until adolescence, which explains why little kids can run around and get all
sweaty without smelling much worse. It's also why teenagers and adults can
benefit from antiperspirants and deodorants, while they don't do anything for
children.
It's getting hot in here . . .
There are three basic reasons we
sweat: it's hot out, our nervous system is in overdrive, or we've just created
extra body heat through muscle exertion. You can probably guess which one is
preferable.
 Baby,
it's hot outside. It's actually the process of evaporation
that causes sweat to cool our skin, not the sweat itself. That's why when we're
someplace with a 100-degree dry heat, we may feel cooler than someplace that's
85 degrees with 90 percent humidity. When the air is so saturated with water
that it can't absorb moisture from our body, we just end up being hot and wet.
Whereas in dry heat, we get the millions of cooling evaporation reactions all
over our body, and thus, we're more comfortable. It's important to remember to
replenish your fluids when you're outside in the heat. Even if you're not
sweating puddles, the heat may be sucking the water out of your body without
you noticing. So, it's always good to have a bottle of water handy on a hot
day. Here are
"10
Reasons Why You Need to Drink Water."
 Is it hot in here, or is it just me? It
might just be you. There are a lot of neurological reasons that excessive
sweating, or diaphoresis, can occur unrelated to the temperature outside or
your level of physical activity. For example, that meth addict sweating at the
bus stop probably didn't just get back from a brisk jog. Certain substances
like drugs, alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine can cause sweating, as can the
withdrawal of the same. More innocent foods, especially of the spicy or
garlicky variety, can also kick your glands into gear. Then there's flop sweat,
as immortalized by Albert Brooks in Broadcast News and Richard Nixon
in his infamous 1960 presidential debate. Flop sweat happens because sometimes
it's just enough for the heat to be "metaphorically" on. Your sweat glands can
overreact to fear in the same way that your heart beats more rapidly and your
breathing increases when confronted with stress. This is why measuring
increases in sweat production is a main component in lie detection. Underlying
medical conditions can also cause sweating for no apparent reason.
 The sweetest sweat. But the best sweat is
the sweat you make the old-fashioned way . . . you burn it. When you exert your
muscles, your body heats up and burns calories, and your sweat glands kick in
to help put out the fire. If you aren't sweating more than usual, you probably
aren't getting the most out of your workout. How much should you be sweating
and how much is too much? The answer to that varies wildly from person to
person. The amount we sweat can be affected by diet, medications, emotions, and
genetics. The important thing is that you're sweating more than usual. That
means your body's kicked it into a higher gear and results should be
forthcoming. You can sweat out up to a liter of fluid at a time, so it's
important to hydrate with water before and after a workout—and during it,
too, if it's a long one.
Getting sweaty, not smelly
 Sweating
during exercise can refresh, invigorate, and detoxify, as well as potentially
cause extreme olfactory discomfort for the people in your general vicinity. The
good news is that sweat itself is odorless. It's essentially just water and
salt. The sweat from the apocrine glands in the armpits and genital area adds a
little extra fat and protein to the mix, which the bacteria on your skin will
metabolize, creating a less-than-refreshing aroma. So once your workout's over,
the clock is ticking. It's a race against time between you and the bacteria on
your skin. The sooner you hit the showers after a workout, the better chance
you have of not leaving a malodorous scent in your wake. Deodorants can help
mask the scent and antiperspirants contain aluminum compounds that can cause
your sweat glands to close, but they really only make about a 20- to 30-percent
difference. Also, contrary to some rumors, antiperspirants are generally
considered safe.
Pay attention to the smells that are
coming out of your body, though. They could be telling you something. For
instance, if your sweat smells of ammonia during a long workout, it is likely
due to your muscles breaking down, which generally means you are under-fueled.
An ammonia smell could also be an indication of liver or kidney disease. And if
your sweat has a sweet, fruity smell, it could be a symptom of diabetes. It
might be worth reporting any change in body odor to your physician, as well as
any change in the amount you sweat or when you sweat. For example, if you
experience night sweats, cold sweats, or excessive sweating for no reason, your
body might be sending you a message to get medical attention. |
