Most people like to get a good sweat going when they're working out. In fact, if you don't sweat when you hit the gym or go for a run, you might feel like you didn't work out hard enough.
You will usually start to sweat once the core temperature inside of your body starts to rise during a workout. Sweating is essential because it keeps that core temperature regulated and prevents your body from overheating.
That being said, not everyone likes the bad effects that often come along with it. There are many pros and cons that you will experience when you sweat on a regular basis.
Take a look at some of those pros and cons below to see how sweating affects your body and your skin.
Pro: Sweating Hydrates the Skin and Naturally Exfoliates It
After a workout, you'll probably notice that your skin feels smooth and clean. Sweating effects can do wonders for your skin.
For starters, sweat can provide your skin with the hydration that it needs. You can deal with skin conditions like dry skin and dermatitis simply by working out more and forcing your body to sweat.
Sweating can also release minerals and salt out of your body and onto your skin. These things can help to exfoliate your skin without much effort on your part.
You will often clear up blemishes from your skin and maintain a healthier glow when you sweat during your workouts.
Con: It Flushes Out Impurities That Can Stay on Your Skin
When you sweat, your body will often release different toxins and other impurities.
This is actually a good thing, as it will rid your body of impurities that could be doing it harm.
However, you will need to make sure that you wipe the sweat off your skin at the end of a workout in order to prevent these impurities from building up on the skin's surface.
If you don't do this quickly enough, your body could end up reabsorbing the toxins into your skin. This can mess with the pH level of your skin and lead to irritation and even rashes in some cases.
It's important to shower shortly after sweating. Otherwise, you could be left dealing with bad effects of sweating.
Pro: Sweating Removes Bacteria, Oil, Dirt, and More From Your Skin
Outside of hydrating your skin and exfoliating it, sweating also removes bacteria, oil, dirt, and more from the surface.
All of these things can build up and sit there, even if you don't necessarily see them. You will wipe them away when you're sweating and remove them from your skin.
You will also regulate the pH levels of your skin when you sweat. The optimal pH level for your skin is actually the same pH level of sweat. So when you sweat, you'll be leveling out the pH of your skin effectively.
Con: It Can Cause an Unpleasant Odor That Can Be Difficult to Mask
After a hard workout, you'll probably find that people won't want to be around you. Reason being, you're likely going to smell, and no amount of body spray is going to be able to cover it up completely.
People tend to smell after they sweat because of the sweat that comes from the apocrine glands. These glands are responsible for the smell that comes along with sweating.
The smell that comes with sweating shouldn't necessarily discourage you from trying to sweat anyway. But you might want to think about getting treatments if you find that you sweat excessively and produce too much of an unpleasant smell.
Pro: Sweating Reminds You to Hydrate When Working Out
When you work out, it's important for you to make sure you stay as hydrated as possible. Your body needs water to regulate your core temperature and to ensure that you don't become dehydrated.
When you sweat a lot, you're more likely to remember that you need to replenish the fluid levels in your body. You will want to replace the water you're losing by sweating with water or a sports drink.
Whether you enjoy running a lot or like to hit the gym and lift weights, you should always make sure you're hydrated. When you see sweat building up on your brow or on your T-shirt, let that serve as a reminder to you.
Con: It Can Cause You to Become Dehydrated
While sweating will be a cue for most people to start drinking more, there are some people who don't get enough water before, during, or after a workout.
These people will often find themselves feeling faint as they work out. This is one of the many signs of dehydration.
When you sweat, your body is losing some of the moisture that it needs to keep you moving. You need to be mindful of replenishing it by drinking more water to replace the sweat.
You should also make sure that you're preparing for a workout by drinking plenty of water. Your body might not be able to produce the sweat that you need if you aren't well hydrated heading into a workout.
At the end of the day, you want to sweat when you work out and you even want to continue sweating for a little while after a workout to reap all of the benefits of it. But your body won't be able to sweat if you aren't providing it with what it needs to do it.
Are Sweating Effects Having a Negative Impact on You?
While sweating usually has more pros than cons, sweating too much can be a bad thing.
Some people have a condition called hyperhidrosis that causes them to sweat excessively. The condition can make it difficult for you to function normally since you're sweating almost all the time, even when you're not working out.
You might feel embarrassed if you have hyperhidrosis and inconvenienced when you have to constantly change clothes to combat sweat.
Contact us if you'd like to hear more about the treatments available for those suffering from the sweating effects of hyperhidrosis.
