A recent NTYimes article looks into how and why women sweat differently then men. I don't know about you but I sweat like a piggy when I work out--I teach spin and I'm drenched by the end. I learned this is a good thing because "fit women seem to sweat differently than unfit people of either sex, and quite differently than fit men, a fact that has implications for sports performance." Read on..
A person’s overall sweat rate depends on how many sweat glands his or her body activates and how much sweat is excreted at each gland. A cycling study with men and women in Japan found that women, whether fit or not, were less adept of ridding themselves of body heat by drenching themselves in sweat. However, as someone becomes more fit, his or her body begins to sweat at a lower body temperature. This is important, because “the body has a critical core temperature,” above which the brain and entire body shuts down and you need to call 911. If you start to sweat at a lower temperature and increase your sweating rate as you get hotter during hard exercise, you’re less likely to reach the critical temperature.
The article concludes that women are at an evolutionary disadvantage in athletics compared to men. Fit men can keep their body cooler because they sweat more (and more efficiently) to keep their core temperature down and can work their body longer and harder. It is believed that estrogen changes the body's sweat production which restricts women's ability to sweat/keep cool as efficiently. (Interesting: In an experiment conducted decades ago, male athletes were injected with estrogen and sweated less during subsequent exercise.)
However the more fit you are as a woman the more adapted your body is to keeping your core temperature down. In other words, if you sweat a ton it's a great sign that you're in good shape and your body is doing exactly what it's supposed to so you can workout out longer, harder, and safer! Drench yourself!
Read the full NYTimes article HERE.
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