7 fun facts about sweat

Whether you’re stressed, overheated or running a marathon, sweat has a purpose. Read on for fun facts about why we sweat.

Everyone has between 2 and 5 million sweat glands spread across the body. The fitter you are, the sooner you may start to sweat during exercise. This is because your body recognizes the need to cool you off faster so you can work out longer. Women have more sweat glands than men, but men’s sweat glands actually produce more sweat than women’s. It’s possible to sweat too much. Overactive sweat glands (also known as hyperhidrosis) can be caused by certain medications or medical conditions. Hyperhidrosis can be embarrassing to deal with and can even lead to dehydration. Some people have salty sweat. If your sweat stings your eyes or stings if it trickles into a cut, tastes salty or leaves white streaks on your skin or clothes after exercising, you're a salty sweater. If you frequently notice a salt-like substance on your clothes after you sweat, talk to a doctor – you could have a salt imbalance. During intense exercise in the heat, athletes can sweat off 2 to 6 percent of their body weight. There is a difference between stress sweat and regular sweat. Regular sweat is comprised of water, salt and potassium, and helps cool the body down as it evaporates. Stress sweat is released by a different gland and is comprised of fatty acids and proteins. Stress sweat doesn’t evaporate as quickly as regular sweat and can develop an odor when it combines with bacteria on the skin.

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