We are not too fond of the often unpleasant symptoms of sweating, but it is good to be aware of its benefits. Basically, it also has a positive effect on our he alth, and can also function as a signal from our body if something is wrong
You can sweat for a number of reasons. It is usually triggered by sports, dancing, sex or other physical activity, or the summer heat is to blame for the unpleasant sweat spots. However, sweating is a natural thing, because the heat released from our body has to evaporate somewhere. Now we're taking the subject from a new angle, and we've brought you some surprising facts about sweating, so that the next time you sweat, you don't just see the unpleasant side of it.
Did you know that sweat itself has no smell?
Sweat is produced in the eccrine and apocrine sweat glands. Although sweat itself is not smelly, when sweat from the apocrine glands located on the external genitalia and armpits, among other things, mixes with bacteria on the skin, it can already produce an unpleasant odor.
Does sweating consume you?
Who sweats how much varies from person to person.
During a vigorous workout, you most likely sweated a lot, but it could also be because of the heat, and this is how your body tries to lower its temperature. Bikram yoga is a great example of this. For a long time, yogis claimed that they burned up to 1,000 calories at a time with a single sweaty workout, but research has shown that this is just a myth. A bikram workout like this results in burning more like 300 calories, which is roughly equivalent to an hour of brisk walking. The intense sweating experience of Bikram is therefore more due to your body trying to adapt to the hot room temperature.
Is there urine in the sweat?
Sweat is mostly made up of water, but if you've ever licked your sweaty arm, you might have noticed that in addition to the s alty taste, it also has a slightly sweet aroma.
The reason for this is none other than the surprising fact that although sweat is 99% water, it also contains some urine, however, the remaining 1% is made up of ammonia, lactic acid, vitamin C, uric acid and urea, so 1% of our sweat consists of a combination of the main components of urine.
Sweating drinks
You may have noticed that when you drink a few cups of coffee, you sweat more than usual. The reason for this is that caffeine increases sweating, so when you are faced with a situation where it is not advisable to sweat profusely, avoid coffee, tea or energy drinks if possible.
Night sweats
In this case, it is worth distinguishing between female and male sweating, as the causes can be different for the two sexes. If a man sweats at night - apart from the obvious reasons - it can mostly be a sign of low testosterone, which can be accompanied by depression, fatigue and even erectile dysfunction. But it can also indicate stress, anxiety or sleep apnea. On the other hand, if a woman sweats at night, it can appear as a symptom of menopause due to the loss of estrogen, but it can also indicate stress. In any case, if it's not 30 degrees in the room, but you still wake up in the middle of the night noticeably sweating, it might be worth consulting a doctor about this.
Pimples again
You would think that after your teenage years, you can finally breathe a sigh of relief and say goodbye to acne forever. But unfortunately this is not the case. In the event of a high degree of sweating, the surface of the skin can break out, so that the so-called host "sweat pimples". The reason for this is sebum production due to sweat, which is a breeding ground for acne.
Thus, if you sweat a lot, it can also result in an increase in the number of your acne.
However, there is no need to panic: if you clean the affected areas properly, the amount of acne will also decrease.
Not only detoxifies the body
Many people also use sweating to detoxify the body, for example when taking a sauna, although there is another side to this. Did you know that it is not only good for your body, but also has a good effect on your soul and brain? It releases endorphin hormones, which are responsible for our happiness, and also raises our serotonin levels.
