Does sweating help?

tomato915
tomato915 Posts: 40
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm not sure if sweating helps in losing weight. I know it helps with detoxifying and cooling your body. But does it help you lose weight? Because I have a friend that runs as well, he told me that sweating helps burn... but I am not sure.

Replies

  • squatsandlipgloss
    squatsandlipgloss Posts: 595 Member
    I don't believe it does. If it does, I would be burning twice as much :P
  • debraran1
    debraran1 Posts: 521 Member
    Sweating makes you lose water weight but you should be replacing it. When I ran, I had to drink quite a bit of water to replace it.
    For most people, sweating is a sign you are working outside of your comfort zone.

    I had a trainer years ago with a weird sense of humor. A group of women always worked out, perfect hair, reading, etc. on EFX or treadmill. I used to be drenched, always going beyond my comfort zone. A woman made a comment that she didn't sweat, she just never does, my trainer said she wasn't working hard enough, she said, no I just don't in a haughty voice. I can't believe he did this but he upped the speed on her treadmill a few numbers and she started to get shiny quick enough.

    He said to me, sweating is good for you, it cleanses you, it shows you worked hard, never be ashamed of it...just don't' count the water weight loss as fat.
  • m4ttcheek
    m4ttcheek Posts: 229 Member
    It helps you lose water and salts. So if you were trying to make weight for a fight say you would dehydrate your body. For a normal person trying to lose fat it wont do anything.
  • tomato915
    tomato915 Posts: 40
    Yeah, coz he suggested that I wear a hoodie for running. I was just curious. :) but I guess I'll still use my hoodie anyway to sweat when running since it can help get rid of nicotine yea? Yes, I smoke... trying to quit tho. I used to smoke a pack a day, now I'm down to 1 - 3 sticks a day or sometimes none when I can. I also like salty food, means sweating would help? Thanks guys! I just joined here a couple of days ago and I'm liking the forum! it helps me a lot.
  • m4ttcheek
    m4ttcheek Posts: 229 Member
    In theory the hotter your body the more calories you burn. The difference would be pretty minimal though.
  • mazdauk
    mazdauk Posts: 1,380 Member
    Drinking lots of water will flush out your system quicker than sweating, but if you "need" sweating to make you drink water (in other words, you're the sort of person who forgets to drink water if they're not really thirsty) then go ahead and sweat.

    My hubby always says "no need to be afraid of sweating" but I prefer to work more within my comfort zone - doesn't mean I don't get sweaty but I don't aim to be that red dripping heap on the floor:laugh:
  • rosebarnalice
    rosebarnalice Posts: 3,488 Member
    it will help in the short term ( if I don't drink water during a workout ,I can literally lose 4 lbs in a 45-60 minute sweat!) but not in the long term because you should be drinking those liquids back.
  • RonandDi
    RonandDi Posts: 120 Member
    The only thing I've noticed is that if I wear a sweat shirt while working out, and sweat more, and it raises my heart rate quicker and for a longer time. So I guess as a by product, sweating is making me lose weight more than not sweating. But I don't think it is enough to worry about one way or another.
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
    For reasons I have never understood, the subject of swearing seems to attract an inordinate amount of folklore.

    Sweating is a cooling mechanism. That's it.

    It has no moral value.

    The amount of sweat one produces does not reflect the quality of the exercise or of the person doing the sweating. Sweating a lot doesn't mean you are working out harder or better than someone who doesn't sweat as much. If anything, sweating only reflects the environmental conditions under which you are working.

    Sweating has no effect on weight loss. It does not "cleanse" or "remove toxins". (The whole concept of "removing toxins" is one of the most bizarre of human mental aberrations).

    Since sweating is a cooling mechanism, it is affected by training. As a rule, the more you exercise , the more efficient you become at sweating and the more you sweat. You get better at sweating during the year as the seasons change. As your sweat volume increases, the sweat becomes more dilute so sweating more usually does not mean you are losing more sodium.

    Wearing a hoodie during an indoor workout makes you look stupid--unless it's one of those cute little thin ones that the cardio bunnies wear.
  • RonandDi
    RonandDi Posts: 120 Member
    For reasons I have never understood, the subject of swearing seems to attract an inordinate amount of folklore.

    Sweating is a cooling mechanism. That's it.

    It has no moral value.

    The amount of sweat one produces does not reflect the quality of the exercise or of the person doing the sweating. Sweating a lot doesn't mean you are working out harder or better than someone who doesn't sweat as much. If anything, sweating only reflects the environmental conditions under which you are working.

    Sweating has no effect on weight loss. It does not "cleanse" or "remove toxins". (The whole concept of "removing toxins" is one of the most bizarre of human mental aberrations).

    Since sweating is a cooling mechanism, it is affected by training. As a rule, the more you exercise , the more efficient you become at sweating and the more you sweat. You get better at sweating during the year as the seasons change. As your sweat volume increases, the sweat becomes more dilute so sweating more usually does not mean you are losing more sodium.

    Wearing a hoodie during an indoor workout makes you look stupid--unless it's one of those cute little thin ones that the cardio bunnies wear.

    So you don't think it is more of a workout to say, run in 100 degree heat as opposed to a cool 50 degree day?
  • mzfiyaa
    mzfiyaa Posts: 94 Member
    yes it does someone told me a workout is not one if you dont sweat...and i found the times i work up a sweat i tend to lose more weight than the times i dont sweat
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    For reasons I have never understood, the subject of swearing seems to attract an inordinate amount of folklore.

    Sweating is a cooling mechanism. That's it.

    It has no moral value.

    The amount of sweat one produces does not reflect the quality of the exercise or of the person doing the sweating. Sweating a lot doesn't mean you are working out harder or better than someone who doesn't sweat as much. If anything, sweating only reflects the environmental conditions under which you are working.

    Sweating has no effect on weight loss. It does not "cleanse" or "remove toxins". (The whole concept of "removing toxins" is one of the most bizarre of human mental aberrations).

    Since sweating is a cooling mechanism, it is affected by training. As a rule, the more you exercise , the more efficient you become at sweating and the more you sweat. You get better at sweating during the year as the seasons change. As your sweat volume increases, the sweat becomes more dilute so sweating more usually does not mean you are losing more sodium.

    Wearing a hoodie during an indoor workout makes you look stupid--unless it's one of those cute little thin ones that the cardio bunnies wear.

    So you don't think it is more of a workout to say, run in 100 degree heat as opposed to a cool 50 degree day?

    My understanding is, if anything, there would be a higher calorie burn in colder weather from having to heat your body. It would still be minimal.
    The perceived exertion may be more when it is warmer but it does not burn more calories.
  • stevenleagle
    stevenleagle Posts: 293 Member
    Sweating doesn't help you lose weight. It's the effort behind it that does! Just saying. (:
  • RonandDi
    RonandDi Posts: 120 Member
    All I know is that the same workout in a sweatsuit will make my heart rate higher (according to my HRM) than without. I'm not saying that it is enough to consider a benifit, but it is higher.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    All I know is that the same workout in a sweatsuit will make my heart rate higher (according to my HRM) than without. I'm not saying that it is enough to consider a benifit, but it is higher.

    Heat and humidity affect heart rate.
    Heart rate is not directly linked to calories burned. There is a relationship between heart rate and VO2 max durin steady state cardio. A HRM assumes any elevated heart rate fits this relationship and estimates calories based on it. There are many cases where this does not apply. Heat/humidity/illness and a number of kther factors can all give a higher heart rate without increasing calories burned.
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
    For reasons I have never understood, the subject of swearing seems to attract an inordinate amount of folklore.

    Sweating is a cooling mechanism. That's it.

    It has no moral value.

    The amount of sweat one produces does not reflect the quality of the exercise or of the person doing the sweating. Sweating a lot doesn't mean you are working out harder or better than someone who doesn't sweat as much. If anything, sweating only reflects the environmental conditions under which you are working.

    Sweating has no effect on weight loss. It does not "cleanse" or "remove toxins". (The whole concept of "removing toxins" is one of the most bizarre of human mental aberrations).

    Since sweating is a cooling mechanism, it is affected by training. As a rule, the more you exercise , the more efficient you become at sweating and the more you sweat. You get better at sweating during the year as the seasons change. As your sweat volume increases, the sweat becomes more dilute so sweating more usually does not mean you are losing more sodium.

    Wearing a hoodie during an indoor workout makes you look stupid--unless it's one of those cute little thin ones that the cardio bunnies wear.

    So you don't think it is more of a workout to say, run in 100 degree heat as opposed to a cool 50 degree day?

    It's not a matter of opinion. People mistake the fatigue that occurs with thermal stress for aerobic intensity. If anything, the quality of the workout on the warmer day will be poorer because the thermal stress means you cannot work out as hard or as long. This is just one of those areas where perceptions and facts are not in agreement.
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
    Wearing a hoodie during an indoor workout makes you look stupid

    Why?
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,993 Member
    I'm not sure if sweating helps in losing weight. I know it helps with detoxifying and cooling your body. But does it help you lose weight? Because I have a friend that runs as well, he told me that sweating helps burn... but I am not sure.
    Sweating has one main purpose.............to cool an overheated body. It doesn't detoxify, nor burn fat more (you could sit in the sun and sweat), but when exercising it does indicate how intense your workout is so more sweating in room temperature (in a hot sun or hot area could make someone sweat with little effort) would indicate a higher calorie burn.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • icimani
    icimani Posts: 1,454 Member
    I work out in a gym so the temp/humidity is pretty consistent. I don't know if sweating "helps" me lose weight, but it's definitely an indicator of how hard I'm working.
  • tomato915
    tomato915 Posts: 40
    I'm not sure if sweating helps in losing weight. I know it helps with detoxifying and cooling your body. But does it help you lose weight? Because I have a friend that runs as well, he told me that sweating helps burn... but I am not sure.
    Sweating has one main purpose.............to cool an overheated body. It doesn't detoxify, nor burn fat more (you could sit in the sun and sweat), but when exercising it does indicate how intense your workout is so more sweating in room temperature (in a hot sun or hot area could make someone sweat with little effort) would indicate a higher calorie burn.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    I must be reading a wrong article on the internet. I've read a couple of articles that says it helps detoxify. Thanks for the info :)
  • TimeForMe99
    TimeForMe99 Posts: 309
    Yeah, coz he suggested that I wear a hoodie for running. I was just curious. :) but I guess I'll still use my hoodie anyway to sweat when running since it can help get rid of nicotine yea? Yes, I smoke... trying to quit tho. I used to smoke a pack a day, now I'm down to 1 - 3 sticks a day or sometimes none when I can. I also like salty food, means sweating would help? Thanks guys! I just joined here a couple of days ago and I'm liking the forum! it helps me a lot.

    Sweating maintains your body temperature and picks up some chemicals along the way (salt, etc.). Wearing a hoodie in warm weather will be very uncomfortable; in hot weather you're courting heat stroke.

    If sweating was all we needed to do in order to lose weight we'd only need to go to a sauna. And if it were all about heart rate we could lose weight watching hot guys at the gym instead of working out.
  • servilia
    servilia Posts: 3,452 Member
    If it's a result of exercise then yes. But it's the exercise, not the sweating :)))
  • fayeonherway
    fayeonherway Posts: 204


    I must be reading a wrong article on the internet. I've read a couple of articles that says it helps detoxify. Thanks for the info :)

    Your kidney and liver 'detoxify' (is that a word?) your body. Sweat serves as a means to cool down your body. Sweating is a result of movement and/or increased temperature.
  • EmAnCiNaS
    EmAnCiNaS Posts: 35 Member
    Sweating doesn't help you lose weight. It's the effort behind it that does! Just saying. (:

    I dont sweat much when i run, or excercise, and i still lost weight.. so I agree with this ^^^
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,993 Member
    I'm not sure if sweating helps in losing weight. I know it helps with detoxifying and cooling your body. But does it help you lose weight? Because I have a friend that runs as well, he told me that sweating helps burn... but I am not sure.
    Sweating has one main purpose.............to cool an overheated body. It doesn't detoxify, nor burn fat more (you could sit in the sun and sweat), but when exercising it does indicate how intense your workout is so more sweating in room temperature (in a hot sun or hot area could make someone sweat with little effort) would indicate a higher calorie burn.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    I must be reading a wrong article on the internet. I've read a couple of articles that says it helps detoxify. Thanks for the info :)
    You're reading articles from proponents who say it detoxifies, but actual peer reviewed science doesn't support that.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

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