Find out why, scientifically, you sweat a lot when you exercise actively. Is this the norm, or is it worth it to see a doctor and start taking action. Excessive sweating during exercise is the body's natural response to an increase in body temperature. Thanks to this process, the overheating of our body is eliminated and the internal temperature is normalized. In addition, the process of sweating is accelerated at high ambient temperatures. If a similar situation arises for no apparent reason, then this may be a symptom of pathology in the work of the sweat glands and the thermoregulation system. The topic of this article is Exercise Sweating: Causes, Tips, and Warnings.
Causes of increased sweating during exercise
Sweat is secreted by special glands located on the surface of the skin, and it contains urea, toxins, mineral salts, ammonia and metabolic products. Let's take a look at the main causes of increased sweating:
- Disorders in the work of the endocrine system that occur during puberty and during menopause, as well as in diabetes, toxic goiter, obesity and hyperthyroidism.
- Psychosomatic as well as neuropsychiatric diseases.
- Ailments of peripheral blood vessels and nerves.
- Diseases of an infectious nature, accompanied by changes in body temperature.
- Pathology of the cardiovascular system.
- Certain cancers.
- Congenital anomalies of thermoregulatory mechanisms.
- Acute or chronic poisoning with alcohol, drugs or chemicals.
- Food poisoning.
Often, accelerated sweating is an indicator of the psycho-emotional state of people. This is due to the body's response to stress and the active production of adrenaline. You must remember that increased sweating during exercise (its causes, tips and warnings) is often individual. It is advisable in such a situation to seek the advice of a specialist and undergo an examination in order to have an accurate idea of the processes taking place in the body.
What could be the reason for increased sweating?
The body is able to function normally only at a certain temperature. Since external conditions are constantly changing, thanks to special mechanisms, the body is able to regulate body temperature. Moreover, this mechanism works with a certain efficiency, on the indicator of which the normal operation of all systems depends.
The body temperature is influenced by various internal and external factors. But since for normal operation it is necessary to maintain a certain temperature, then nature has created a system of thermoregulation. All tissues of our body have special receptors that track changes in temperature. The information received about changes in the temperature of the external and internal environment through the spinal cord enters the brain.
The main departments of thermoregulation are located in the hypothalamus. Recall that this part of the brain is the main regulator of all vegetative processes in our body. Depending on the cause of irritation of the hypothalamus, the body's response to temperature fluctuations may differ. One of the methods of thermoregulation is the process of perspiration.
Symptoms of high sweating
It should be remembered that increased sweating during exercise (the reasons, tips and warnings we are considering today) can be local or ubiquitous. In places of increased sweating, the skin is often moist and cool to the touch. If there are problems with peripheral blood flow, then the feet and hands may become bluish.
Quite often, the symptoms of high sweating are symptoms of the development of skin ailments of an infectious or fungal nature. Sweat itself is odorless. The unpleasant odors that appear with profuse sweating are the result of the work of bacteria living on the skin and feeding on body secretions.
However, this statement is not always true, and odors may be associated with the excretion of certain substances. Very rarely, sweat can even have any color, and this phenomenon manifests itself in people working in hazardous conditions at chemical plants.
Exercise Sweating in Various Parts of the Body: Causes, Tips and Warnings
Armpits
For some people, profuse armpit sweating can be a serious problem. This is especially true in hot weather and in some situations you even have to seek the advice of a specialist. Now you will find out what this is connected with.
As we discussed earlier, sweating is a normal physiological process by which the body controls body temperature and metabolic reactions. Together with sweat, liquid and minerals are disposed of. During the hot season or during intense physical exertion, this should be considered the body's normal response to external conditions.
Also, the process of sweating can accelerate during stress or emotional outbursts and disturbances in the work of thermoregulatory mechanisms. People suffering from profuse sweating should pay attention not only to the amount of sweat secreted, but also to its smell. It is possible that to solve the problem, it is enough just to change the nutrition program, reducing the amount of prayer food and alcohol in it. At the same time, increased sweating may indicate the presence of more serious disorders in the body.
Legs
This is a very common phenomenon and the problem can be partially solved by following the rules of personal hygiene. However, in a situation where the problem does not affect a specific person, but also the people around him, then the matter turns out to be more serious. In the presence of chronic high sweating on the legs, most often the process is accompanied by a strong unpleasant odor. This fact is due to the fact that there are a large number of sweat glands on the skin of the feet.
When they believe that the external conditions are unfavorable (uncomfortable shoes, long walking, etc.), they begin to work in an active mode. If at the same time the access of air to the legs is limited, then the bacteria begin to multiply actively and the gas released by them in the process of vital activity gives the sweat a repulsive smell. Also, with profuse sweating on the feet and especially between the toes, small cracks may appear. In such a situation, it is worth seeking help from a specialist.
Body
If increased sweating on the body is associated with physical activity, then there is nothing to worry about. But when this happens for no good reason, for example, clothes get wet at rest or an unpleasant odor emanates from the body, we recommend that you consult a doctor for a medical examination. Here are some of the main reasons for profuse sweating:
- Genetic factors - congenital features of the body and its thermoregulation mechanism.
- Ailments - increased sweating can accompany the development of various diseases.
If the process of profuse sweating on the body has begun, then the temperature should be measured first. This will allow diagnosing the presence of ailments of an infectious or colds nature. If the body temperature after this procedure turned out to be normal, then perhaps the whole thing is in the disruption of the hormonal system. To determine the exact cause of the pathology, you must visit a doctor.
Head
Excessive sweating of the scalp is the most noticeable type of sweating. This phenomenon is possible not only under conditions of physical exertion, but also under normal conditions. However, this situation has physiological explanations. The appearance of a large amount of sweat on the forehead is most often caused by a stressful situation.
This happens most often in shy people. In this case, profuse sweating is the body's response to severe irritation of the nervous system. The second reason for high sweating of the scalp can be problems with the work of the sweat glands or the entire mechanism of thermoregulation. Similar situations are possible with metabolic disorders or after traumatic brain injury.
Increased sweating at night
Quite often people complain that they sweat a lot at night. This is not about the work of the vegetative system. Here are the main reasons for this phenomenon:
- Tuberculosis - an ailment of an infectious nature that can affect some systems and organs, and one of its symptoms is high sweating at night.
- Lymphogranulomotosis - an ailment of an oncological nature that affects the lymphatic system. In addition to profuse sweating at night, an increase in the size of peripheral lymph nodes may also indicate its presence.
- AIDS - Night sweats are just one of the many symptoms.
- Thyroid problems - affect the functioning of the entire endocrine system, which can lead to increased night sweats.
- Obesity and Diabetes - metabolic ailments.
Note that women may also experience night sweats during pregnancy and lactation, but this is not an anomaly.
Heavy sweating in women and men
This phenomenon in women can have many reasons, and high ambient temperatures is just one of them. Most often, profuse sweating indicates a violation of the hormonal system and can appear at different times, for example, in adolescence, during menopause, during pregnancy, etc. Most often, the cause is a high level of estrogen. Sweat in large quantities can appear in different parts of the body, and at the same time, reddening of the skin of the face and hot flashes are possible.
If you are sure that the reason is not a change in the cycles of hormonal activity, then you should contact an endocrinologist in order to undergo an examination for disorders in the functioning of the endocrine system. Often, even an insignificant correction of hormone levels can solve all problems. High sweating during menstruation can be considered normal and does not require consultation with a specialist.
In men, increased sweating can also be related to the hormonal system. Estrogens in a certain amount are necessary for the male body and they are entrusted with important functions. However, an increase in the concentration of female hormones leads to a decrease in the rate of testosterone synthesis. It is this fact that often becomes the cause of profuse sweating. We recommend that you consult a doctor to diagnose the causes of the phenomena occurring.
For more on the causes of excessive sweating, see the following video:
