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Is Sweat an "Indirect Indicator" of a Good Exercise?

If you sweat a lot when you exercise, it seems that it will have the effect of losing weight. Some people wear specially coated sweatsuits to sweat more during exercise. Is sweating a lot during exercise more effective and more helpful in weight loss?


Sweat is a kind of "indirect indicator" of the intensity of exercise, and sweating is a sign that you are exercising at a "medium intensity" level that helps your health. However, sweating does not mean losing weight. Some people sweat a lot even if they do the same exercise, while others don't. The effect of weight loss varies depending on the type of exercise or calorie consumption according to intensity. If you measure your weight immediately after exercise, there are some cases where you lose weight, which is due to water loss, not fat loss. In the same vein, wearing sweatsuits also raises body temperature, making you sweat more, and not particularly effective in exercising.


Some people regularly have saunas to sweat a lot. Sauna releases a large amount of sweat to lower the elevated body temperature. Sweating in a sauna is only a physiological phenomenon that occurs in the process of controlling body temperature, and it is not as effective as exercising. Rather, if you use the sauna excessively for a long time, you should be careful because the body's necessary ingredients such as magnesium and potassium can escape along with moisture.


Sweating too much can rather harm your health. This is because sweating too much during exercise can strain the musculoskeletal and vascular systems, and can lead to dehydration or electrolyte imbalance. If you are thirsty during exercise, dehydration has already begun, and if you do not supply moisture immediately, dehydration accelerates.


When 3 to 4% of moisture escapes, the motor function rapidly decreases, and when 8 to 9% is lost, it becomes lethargic, including dizziness. If it gets worse, you could die. It can lead to chronic dehydration, where the body's moisture content is always 1-2%. Chronic dehydration leads to obesity, fatigue, and aging. During exercise, it is recommended to drink 120 to 150mL every 10 to 15 minutes while doing moderate-intensity exercise where you sweat.


Writer: Yeyoung Jeon


(Picture from Unsplash)

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