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Everything you’ve ever wondered (or not) about sweat.
Sweat gets a bad rap. It stinks, ruins our white tees, and can be downright disgusting (don’t make eye contact with the bench – just clean it and pretend you didn’t see anything). But the truth is, everyone sweats. Everyone should sweat. We need sweat. It’s a necessary bodily function.
With so many different myths or theories about sweat, it can be hard to know what’s true. So I’ve reached out to the “sweat experts” to find some fun facts about sweat.
1. If You’re In Shape, You’re More Prone To Sweat Easily
So what exactly does that mean? Well, for people who train often, and thus, sweat often, their bodies become more accustomed to and aware of the sweating process more than the average joe’s body would. When they start their workout, their body is ready and remembers the crucial role it plays to cool down the body. So they start producing sweat sooner.
2. The Older You Get, The Less You Sweat
It’s really that simple. As we age, our sweat glands shrink and become less sensitive over time.
3. Sweat Is Odorless And Colorless
Okay, this one might be hard to believe. We’ve all smelled some very stinky sweat before, or perhaps you’ve been victim to yellow armpit stains. However, it’s actually the bacteria on your skin or chemical reactions with stuff on your skin that create the stench and stains.
4. Sweat Is Unique Like A Fingerprint
Sweat is unique to everyone, like a fingerprint. It’s composed of a combination of compounds that are exclusively yours. Everyone sweats, but no two people sweat the same (not even twins).
5. Sweat Glands Are Not Spread Equally
The bottom of your feet is where sweat glands are most heavily located. On the other hand, your back has the least amount of sweat glands per square inch. The feet just happen to have more active sweat glands than other parts of the body.
6. We Sweat. A Lot.
It’s actually been proven that the average joe sweats around 278 gallons of sweat per year. That’s a lot of sweat.
7. You Don’t Get New Sweat Glands
The sweat glands you came into the world with are the same ones you’ll go out with, and you’ll never get any new ones.
8. Sweat Is Good
Aside from regulating out body temperature and cooling us down when we need to, sweat helps us in other ways. For instance, dermcidin, an antibiotic peptide present in sweat, controls bacterial development on the skin and even aids in the treatment of some diseases. Thank you, sweat!
9. Stress Sweat And Regular Sweat Are Not The Same
First of all, they’re triggered by different things. And they’re not even made up from the same molecules. Salt, potassium, and water make up regular sweat. On the other hand, stress sweat is made up of proteins and fatty acids.
10. You Can Sweat Too Much
As mentioned above, sweating is a necessary and important process of your body, to a certain degree. If you’re constantly sweating like a sinner in church, you may want to see a doctor about hyperhidrosis, a condition that causes excessive or extreme sweating. Excessive sweating can do more harm than good.