Sweat and intensity

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So I have an odd question. I'm probably high beginner near intermediate level exerciser (at least for cardio) with a lot of weight to lose but exercising pretty regularly. I've been trying lots of different things. Well when I do something like zumba or jazzercise, I sweat like crazy, and also feel that my heart rate is up. I could talk and am not panting but conversation would be difficult. I recently got an exercise bike, and have been riding that for about 25 minutes at a time. My knees are a bit dodgy so I'm not going super fast or intense yet working up and adding it to the other stuff..just about 4 miles in 25 minutes, or 10 miles an hour most of the time. The heart rate thingy is broken on it and I don't have one, but I don't feel winded or out of breath really, but omg do I sweat. I'm dripping when I'm done. I think I sweat more than the dance aerobics maybe, but I have more breath than in them. The room isn't particular warm where my bike is though there isn't a fan down there yet. Is this normal to sweat like crazy even if you don't feel very winded?

I also had a weird sweat thing this weekend..I was walking around browsing art at an art festival on a very humid but not very hot day, and I just started sweating like crazy. I felt absolutely fine, not at all winded no weird anything not even that hot, but was just dripping for a moment there shortly after getting there. Didn't seem like others were. Kind of embarrassing. I bought a little cotton baseball type hat and that helped.

So I guess the question is..anything to worry about here, or is this just how it is for some people and i'm thinking too much?

EDIT - and yes I'll ask my doc about it next time I go in.

Replies

  • peeaanuut
    peeaanuut Posts: 359 Member
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    many factors can contribute to sweating, but remember the basics of sweat is to help you cool. So a humid enviroment may not seem hot temperature wise but it still raises your body heat. Clothing, air movement, intensity of movement, weather and hydration level all can play a part in it.

    Also remember that winded doesnt always correlate to higher heart rate, so you can get a higher heart rate but not be winded (which is a good fitness goal).
  • lisalsd1
    lisalsd1 Posts: 1,520 Member
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    I sweat like a grown man (I'm a woman btw). My husband and I had this argument not long ago; I was convinced that heavy sweating meant you were working out super hard. He pointed out that I sweat when I stand still, when it's cold, at night...etc.

    I went to an endocrinologist. I thought maybe it was a hormonal problem. She couldn't find anything wrong with my bloodwork. I've ALWAYS been super sweaty though...she said it was probably a bit of a "thermal disregulation."

    I find that I DO sweat more when I am very hydrate (I drink 4-5 liters of water daily)...and of course in a hot environment. I often "feel hot" when other people do not.

    One thing I noticed at the gym (besides that I sweat more than most men), some people just seem to be sweaty ALL of the time. Yup, I'm one of them. I did read an article that said "fit" people tend to sweat sooner while working out, b/c their bodies are used to exercise and know how to cool them off more efficiently and faster (maybe that's bs, I don't know).
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
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    sweat is an indicator of ambient temperature, humidity, and hydration more than an indicator of intensity of effort.
  • jenny3008
    jenny3008 Posts: 97 Member
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    I've found that since I started exercising properly over the last year or so I sweat much more and much easily.

    Although I find the sensation of it dripping off me rather horrible before I started sweating so much I just found I got hotter and hotter and hotter until I felt ill and couldn't really continue with the exercise.

    I'm still not great when I start to overheat but I'm learning to push through it and not to quit
  • MireyGal76
    MireyGal76 Posts: 7,334 Member
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    I never used to sweat, I would turn beat red in the face, but not sweat a drop.

    Now, I sweat like a hostage. I think about exercise, and I sweat.
    When I box, it literally drips off of me.
    I can see it all over me.
    And it soaks my clothes.


    It used to gross me out, but now I love it... both on me and on others.
    As long as it doesn't stink. lol

    The fitter I got, the more I began to sweat.
    The harder I push, the more I sweat.
    The more water I drink, the more I sweat.


    Sweat is awesome.
  • odusgolp
    odusgolp Posts: 10,477 Member
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    I never used to sweat, I would turn beat red in the face, but not sweat a drop.

    Now, I sweat like a hostage. I think about exercise, and I sweat.
    When I box, it literally drips off of me.
    I can see it all over me.
    And it soaks my clothes.


    It used to gross me out, but now I love it... both on me and on others.
    As long as it doesn't stink. lol

    The fitter I got, the more I began to sweat.
    The harder I push, the more I sweat.
    The more water I drink, the more I sweat.


    Sweat is awesome.

    Do you still turn beat red in the face?
  • MireyGal76
    MireyGal76 Posts: 7,334 Member
    Options
    I never used to sweat, I would turn beat red in the face, but not sweat a drop.

    Now, I sweat like a hostage. I think about exercise, and I sweat.
    When I box, it literally drips off of me.
    I can see it all over me.
    And it soaks my clothes.


    It used to gross me out, but now I love it... both on me and on others.
    As long as it doesn't stink. lol

    The fitter I got, the more I began to sweat.
    The harder I push, the more I sweat.
    The more water I drink, the more I sweat.


    Sweat is awesome.

    Do you still turn beat red in the face?

    only when I'm dehydrated

    eta... well, yeah some... cuz I'm often dehydrated (I rarely get my 64oz of water - some days I drink none).
    When I've had 64 oz, I don't get nearly as red in the face.


    I'm relatively fair skinned though, so I turn red easily.
  • odusgolp
    odusgolp Posts: 10,477 Member
    Options
    I never used to sweat, I would turn beat red in the face, but not sweat a drop.

    Now, I sweat like a hostage. I think about exercise, and I sweat.
    When I box, it literally drips off of me.
    I can see it all over me.
    And it soaks my clothes.


    It used to gross me out, but now I love it... both on me and on others.
    As long as it doesn't stink. lol

    The fitter I got, the more I began to sweat.
    The harder I push, the more I sweat.
    The more water I drink, the more I sweat.


    Sweat is awesome.

    Do you still turn beat red in the face?

    only when I'm dehydrated

    eta... well, yeah some... cuz I'm often dehydrated (I rarely get my 64oz of water - some days I drink none).
    When I've had 64 oz, I don't get nearly as red in the face.


    I'm relatively fair skinned though, so I turn red easily.

    I'm pretty much purple and disgusting 10 minutes into a workout. I hate it, so bad. I'm also always dehydrated, so that's interesting. Just wondering if it ever gets better as you get healthier *LOL* My cardiovascular health still pretty much blows.
  • marz42
    marz42 Posts: 223 Member
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    I'm pretty sure I don't turn red, just sweat a ton. I'm not typically warm when others are cold, if anything I tend to run a bit colder, despite the weight. I don't think its hot flashes yet either, though those are probably not far off. Maybe i've just gotten to be a more efficient sweater. I've been exercising much more regularly after years of being quite sedentary.
  • MireyGal76
    MireyGal76 Posts: 7,334 Member
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    Tonight at boxing I was red faced, well hydrated, and the sweat was insane. I could feel it running down my shoulders. It dripped on the floor while we were planking. I wasn't the only one though. :-)

    My hrm logged a burn of 899 cals in 60 mins...