Sweat - required?!

fitnessjch
fitnessjch Posts: 449 Member
edited September 26 in Fitness and Exercise
Ok, answer a question for me.

If you sweat a lot whilst working out, does it mean you're working harder?

If you do the same exercise in normal heat, and then in air conditioned room, will there be any difference, and if so, why?

Replies

  • megha14
    megha14 Posts: 1
    thats a good question ... ive always wondered that too
    sorry dont have an answer for ya though lol
  • fteale
    fteale Posts: 5,310 Member
    I don't know. I don't really sweat at all, even working out hard in a hot room (like this evening, everyone else was dripping, I was barely glowing).
  • rileamoyer
    rileamoyer Posts: 2,412 Member
    My guess is it is different for everyone and it depends on how well hydrated you are at the time. I know I usually sweat more when it is hot and humid as opposed to cool, as long as I am well hydrated.
  • believetoachieve
    believetoachieve Posts: 675 Member
    Ok, answer a question for me.

    If you sweat a lot whilst working out, does it mean you're working harder?

    Sometimes, but not always.Sweat is not an indicator of exertion, it's just your body's way of cooling down. So while it MAY mean you're working harder, it may not. Perceived rate of effort, and a heart rate monitor are better methods to determine how hard you're working.
  • waverly9876
    waverly9876 Posts: 605 Member
    bump
  • itsgotsnuts
    itsgotsnuts Posts: 12 Member
    As a side note, a trainer once told me that it is healthy to sweat. If you're not sweating, then you're probably not working out hard enough.

    Here is some stuff about sweat from an MSNBC.com article: www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23344876/ns/health-fitness/

    1) "Actually, according to fitness experts, there is an optimal temperature for working out indoors: 68 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit. That's the range that keeps most exercisers comfortable, whether they're jogging on the treadmill, taking a step class or pumping iron."

    2) "...sweating more this way doesn't mean you're losing fat any faster or somehow building more muscle. It just means you're sweating more and losing more water. That's a tactic that boxers and wrestlers use to quickly "make weight" on the day of a competition, but all it means for you is you're sweaty and need to drink more to stay properly hydrated."
  • tjstivers1
    tjstivers1 Posts: 8
    Sweat is only to draw heat away from the body through evaporation. After losing several pounds, it becomes much more difficult to sweat during lower intensity workouts. I hardly ever sweat during strength training, and yet I sweat like a pig while doing cardio. You will almost always sweat more on treadmills, ellipticals, stationary bikes, etc than you will on their real alternates. You're not mving through the air on a treadmill.

    I measure my workouts the morning after. If I'm sore, i did well. If I'm not, time to work harder. You should only be sore for about 48 hours after a workout unless you just began a new regimen. Soreness beyond that could be a sign of DOMS, which is often associated with overtraining, and thus, injury.
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