Thursday, 21 June 2012

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.

Running in the heat


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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