Sweaty betty
Well it's getting really hot and humid here in Cyprus. Running the trails is getting a little more challenging and we are losing a hec of a lot of water. I thought that it was time to look at why we sweat.
Sweating cools us down
We sweat to cool the body down. The water sits on the surface of the skin and cools the body down by allowing heat to escape from the body. We start to sweat when our body temperature increases by 0.25 to 0.5 % and our sweat glands are stimulated. Sweating is most effective at cooling our bodies when a glistening film is produced on to the skin. When we form sweat droplets, our bodies cease to cool as effectively as the rate of production exceeds the rate of evaporation.
Are there factors that affect sweating?
Yes, activity, humidity, the temperature of the environment and the clothes worn affect the amount that we sweat. Humidity affects us because perspiration evaporation becomes lower than it would be in dry weather conditions. We also feel warmer when humidity is high. Our sweating mechanisms adapt to our workout. Sweat becomes more dilute as we improve our sweating systems.

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Running in the heat
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Sweaty facts
There are about 2 million sweat pores on the body
Women have more sweat glands than men
Men produce more sweat than women
Sweat is odourless
Bacteria build up on the surface of the skin causes sweat to smell
There are 2 different types of sweat glands
Hot humid weather can make people more predisposed to getting heat rash and heat exhaustion
Can you control your sweating?
Wearing loose, technical clothing can help wick moisture away from the skin. Allowing the body to adapt to its training routine, or to warmer weather, usually reduces the amount of sweat produced. Severe excessive and problematic sweating may be due to 'hyperhidrosis'.
That's all from me for now, good bye from your dedicated Sports Massage Therapist. Happy training!
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