Sweating for Fitness

Here's a good article about one of the most important components of exercise and health: sweating.

From Yumasun.com:

Next time you end up dripping after a workout, think about this: All that perspiration is crucial to healthy physical functioning.

As your body’s primary mechanism for eliminating heat, sweating keeps your internal (core) temperature as constant as possible.

Sweat consists primarily of water, which comes from your blood, and other trace substances, including sodium chloride, potassium, lactic acid and ammonia.

These minerals (known as electrolytes) help regulate blood pressure and water balance.

Physical conditioning, age, ethnicity, gender and climate all affect the amount you sweat. Sedentary people may sweat anywhere from practically nothing to two quarts a day, while heat and/or exertion can increase daily sweat output to as much as five to eight quarts.

In general, sweat gland activity decreases with age — one reason why older people tolerate heat less well and should be careful in hotter weather.

While women usually sweat less and store more heat than men, research shows that women and men in equivalent physical condition tolerate heat equally well.

In fact, cardiovascular fitness is one of the most important factors in heat tolerance.

Is sweating a good measure of your athletic performance? Research shows that when you increase stamina and conditioning, you begin to sweat “more efficiently,” i.e. earlier, or at a lower internal temperature, than previously.

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