Sweating makes you lose weight: knowing the true from the false
Sweating makes you lose weight: on paper, it’s attractive, but the reality is quite different. On average, the body can eliminate half a liter of water. Anyone is also capable of sweating 10 to 12 liters of water a day . However, this amount of water does not help you lose weight, as we explain to you below.
Sweating makes you lose weight: stop, what do you really eliminate when you sweat?
Sweating is essential for the balance and well-being of our body. Indeed, it has two essential functions. It helps our body to regulate our temperature by maintaining it at 37°C. It also eliminates organic waste, toxins and toxic substances (urea, ammonia, lactic acids, fatty acids, amino acids, mineral salts). That’s why it’s slightly salty.
To say that sweating makes you lose weight is assuming something that isn’t necessarily true: Many people sweat every day, even without exercising, and yet it doesn’t make them lose weight .
Why do some people sweat more than others?
Sweat is emitted by the apocrine glands , which are found in the axillary (armpit) and genital regions. If some people sweat more than others, it could be due to heredity . Age also plays an important role: older people sweat less. Women sweat less than men because they can withstand a higher body temperature. This is reported by a study conducted in 2010. What’s more, their sweat glands secrete less liquid. However, hot flashes and heavy sweating can occur after menopause .
Excessive sweating is also akin to hyperhidrosis : it comes from a false need for the body to work to regulate its internal temperature. This causes heavy sweating, in a specific part of the body, or in a generalized way. This pathology is benign, and is disabling only aesthetically speaking. It can nevertheless be aggravated in case of fatigue , anxiety, or after a psychological shock. In rare cases, it can be a telltale sign of diseases, such as hyperthyroidism or diabetes .
Does sweating make you lose fat?
Does sweating make you lose fat? Despite popular belief, sweating does not make you lose weight . We can think that sweating makes you lose weight after a sports session: if you weigh yourself, you realize that your weight has actually dropped. However, the pounds lost are pounds of water: they will be regained as soon as you hydrate again . Exercising only helps you lose weight if your diet doesn’t provide more than you spend .
“Sweating makes you lose weight” is therefore a preconceived idea that we have when imagining sweat-soaked outfits after a session at the gym. Moreover, the healthiest perspiration is that caused by the sauna or the hammam . Do not rely on physical exercises to lose weight: calorie expenditure comes above all with calorie intake. To lose weight through sport, you must also change your eating behavior and adapt it to your new lifestyle .
Thus, “sweating makes you lose weight” is taking too many shortcuts. It is an aid to lose weight, but it is not an end in itself. It is indeed more effective to lose weight while paying attention to what is on your plate . Telling yourself that sweating makes you lose weight may be a good motivation to start exercising, but don’t focus on physical exercises, which will cause you to lose water, which you will then regain by drinking water. To lose weight while exercising, it is better to do exercise that works all the muscles effectively, such as water sports .
Stephen Paul is the lead author and founder of My Health Sponsor. Holder of a diploma in health and well-being coaching with more than 200 articles in the field of health, he makes it a point of honor to offer advice based on reliable information, based on scientific research, and verified by health professionals.