Are you constantly using a napkin to wipe your face while exercising? Do you have rivers of sweat flowing down during your workout sessions?
You might think that this is probably because you are unfit. No. There are some other reasons that cause you to sweat excessively.
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What Does Excessive Sweating Portray About Your Fitness?
Losing a litre or a little more than that during a workout session is quite normal. Sweating excessively while working out does not mean that you are out of shape. People with larger body masses are bound to sweat more than the smaller counterparts.
If You’re Fit, You’d Sweat Sooner
Sweating sooner and profusely is an indication of your higher fitness level. People, who are aerobically fit, like athletes, tend to sweat earlier and much more easily than the people who are less fit.
This is because your body can handle the heat well and is heat assimilated. Your body becomes heat assimilated when you work out for about two weeks in an environment which is hot.
Your body adapts itself according to the heat assimilation, which includes sweating more efficiently to remove the heat. This includes changes like increase in plasma volume, the decrease in the heart rate, the lesser amount of electrolytes released with the sweat, and the greater amount of blood flow to the skin where sweating is about to occur.
As a result of heat assimilation, your body adapts itself to eliminate heat and to work in a hot environment. There won’t be same benefits of just sitting in the hot environment, or just working out for 2-3 days.
Of course, temperature and humidity of the environment play an important role. If you are working out in an environment which has high humidity level, then the sweat from your skin will evaporate slowly, and you might need your towel again and again.
Other Causes Of Excessive Sweating While Exercising
Sweating too soon and too much can be an indication of your fitness, but there are other causes too. Hormonal imbalance, anxiety, stress, low sugar level, or a symptom of an overactive thyroid gland can cause you to sweat profusely.
But in cases like these, you are likely to sweat even while resting or just sitting idle. This might be due to certain medications, or just because you have a larger number of sweat glands. Although, this could be an indication of a condition known as hyperhidrosis.
Localised Sweating: Primary Hyperhidrosis
In hyperhidrosis, the patient suffers from profuse perspiration usually from certain parts like arms or the palms. This condition is usually hereditary and you tend to sweat even when you don’t exercise.
It is a medical condition, but not a disease or an illness. Symptoms are symmetrical and occur on both the sides of the body from a specific area which includes palms, feet, chest, groyne, head or face.
So basically, this does not affect your health. But, this you have to face social problems like wiping your hand every time before shaking hands with somebody, or having a smudged writing on the paper.
Around 3% of the world’s population suffers from hyperhidrosis. Caffeine, spicy food and anxiety and aggravate hyperhidrosis.
Here, many of you might be wondering is excessive sweating during eating is normal or not? This varies from person to person and the type of food you are intaking.
Generalized Sweating: Secondary Hyperhidrosis
This is less common and is also a serious medical condition, unlike primary hyperhidrosis. This condition is caused by some other underlying condition. One obvious sign of this condition is sweating excessively at night.
What Can Trigger This Condition?
- Menopause
- Pregnancy
- Thyroid problems
- Infections
- Diabetes
- Alcoholism
- Arthritis
- Parkinson’s disease
- Heart failure
- Stroke
- Cancer like leukemia
Medications can also cause profuse sweating in certain people. These medications include psychiatric drugs, blood pressure medicines, antibiotics, supplements and medicines for dry mouth.
The treatment for hyperhidrosis varies from mild antiperspirants to Botox injections. In severe cases, a surgery might be necessary.
Bottom Line
A question arises does excessive sweating means being out of shape? Different factors are responsible to it.
Sweating a lot during exercise does not mean that you are in a bad shape. It can be a good sign. Sweating is the normal response of the body to exercise. It varies from person to person. Just make sure that you are hydrated at all times.
If you are sweating even while simply watching TV with your family, make sure you visit your doctor. It can be hyperhidrosis. Otherwise, even a large volume of sweat isn’t something to worry about!
You can also try herbal remedies to reduce the excessive sweating. These will give your body a cooling effect and prevents sweat glands from producing more sweat.
