Sweating and Fat Loss - Does More Sweating Mean Faster Weight Loss?
Is increased sweating an indicator of a better workout? Does sweating have anything to do with losing weight and burning fat? Find out in this blog post.
Many people think that sweating is a sign of a good workout and proof of its effectiveness. When someone says, "I didn't even sweat," it’s often a criticism of the trainer and the workout.
WHAT IS SWEATING?
Sweating means that the body is doing its job to cool down. Most commonly, a person sweats as a response to heat, exercise, or certain emotional states.
As sweat evaporates from the skin, it absorbs heat energy from the body, thereby cooling us down. Sweating is a natural way to regulate body temperature.
The amount of sweat produced varies from person to person, typically ranging from 0.1 to 1 liter per day. When sweating is excessive and occurs without a justified reason, this condition is called hyperhidrosis.
MAIN CAUSES OF SWEATING
Our skin contains different types of glands, some of which produce sweat. When these sweat glands receive signals from the brain, they secrete sweat through pores on the skin.
As soon as the brain detects that body temperature has risen above 37°C (98.6°F), it signals the sweat glands to produce and release fluid. This fluid – sweat – evaporates and cools the skin surface.
When we are hot, active, nervous, or stressed, the sweat glands are stimulated to produce more sweat. Each person has between 25,000 and 50,000 sweat glands in the armpit area alone, which is a small percentage of the total number of sweat glands (about 1.6-4 million sweat glands are found throughout our body). They are most densely distributed under the armpits, on the palms, and on the soles of the feet.
TRAINING AND SWEATING
The amount of sweat produced during a workout depends on several factors, including gender (men usually sweat more than women), age (younger people sweat more than older ones), genetics, temperature, and humidity.
Additionally, body weight affects sweating. People with higher body weight sweat more because their bodies generate more heat, making sweat a way to cool down. Another factor influencing sweating is the current level of physical fitness.
Surprisingly, people who are in better shape start sweating earlier in a workout than those who are less fit. As you reach a higher level of fitness, your thermoregulation system becomes more efficient, cooling you down faster and allowing you to perform at a higher level.
SWEATING AND WATER LOSS
Don’t be misled if you step on the scale after a very intense workout and see a slight drop in weight. You haven’t lost fat so easily; you’ve simply lost water and salts, which you will regain once you rehydrate.
Moreover, this “value” on the scale doesn’t even mean you’ve burned a lot of calories during the workout; it simply indicates that you sweated a lot.
At the same time, if you didn’t sweat much, don’t think that you didn’t have a good workout or didn’t burn enough calories. After all, some people simply sweat minimally, and this has nothing to do with weight loss or calorie expenditure during a workout.
SWEATING AND FAT LOSS
One common misconception is that wrapping yourself in plastic wrap and wearing the warmest tracksuit, then running or doing cardio in the gym in such attire, will melt away fat. Many times, people have suffered from heatstroke, with potentially fatal consequences.
We must understand that fat cannot melt; it is not a process that occurs through sweating. Instead, fats must be burned in the mitochondria during energy production.
It’s also important to note that sweating on a specific body part won’t lead to fat loss in that area. Often, people aim for the stomach and use various belts while exercising.
This can even be dangerous due to unnatural overheating in the kidney area, which can affect their function over time. Therefore, such practices should be avoided.
PROPER APPROACH TO FAT LOSS
The truth is that achieving results in training takes time and shortcuts do not exist. Along with regular, properly dosed physical activity, it is essential to pay attention to diet, and most importantly, to do so over an extended period.
Only then can you expect changes and a reduction in body fat percentage, alongside an increase in muscle mass, which should be the ultimate goal.
To integrate regular training into your daily routine, the MyFitWorld platform and its Premium package can be a great help, offering unlimited access to all content. With over 2,500 exercises, various training programs, and challenges for all fitness levels, you can work out whenever and wherever suits you.
On the platform, you also have access to a community of trainers among whom you can choose the best one for you.
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