The importance of sweating
BENEFITS OF SWEAT
1. Regulates Body Temperature
• Cooling the body: The primary function of sweating is thermoregulation. When your body temperature rises (due to exercise, hot weather, or fever), sweat is produced to cool you down. As sweat evaporates from the skin, it helps to dissipate heat, preventing overheating.
2. Detoxification
• Excreting waste: Sweat contains small amounts of waste products such as urea, ammonia, and salts. While the kidneys are the main organ for detoxification, sweating helps to eliminate some of these substances from the body. This can assist in the overall detox process, although it's not the primary way your body gets rid of toxins.
3. Improves Skin Health
Clears pores: Sweating helps open up your pores and can facilitate the removal of dirt, oils, and impurities. This can contribute to cleaner skin, although excessive sweating without proper hygiene can sometimes lead to clogged pores and breakouts.
Hydrates the skin: The moisture produced during sweating can help keep the skin hydrated.
4. Boosts Circulation
• Increased blood flow: As your body heats up and you sweat, blood flow increases to the skin's surface. This promotes circulation and can improve oxygen and nutrient delivery to tissues.
5. Promotes Mental Clarity
• Stress relief: Sweating, especially from physical activity like exercise or hot yoga, can help reduce stress levels. Endorphins, the "feel-good" hormones, are released during physical exertion, which can also enhance mental clarity and promote a sense of well- being.
6. Supports Immune Function
• Fighting infections: Some studies suggest that sweating may help support immune function. For instance, when your body sweats as a response to fever (as the immune system fights an infection), this can help the body fight off illness. Additionally, sweat contains antimicrobial peptides that may help to neutralize harmful bacteria on the skin's surface.
7. Supports Cardiovascular Health
• Mimics exercise: Sweating through activities like saunas or heat exposure can provide benefits similar to light cardiovascular exercise. This may improve heart health and lower blood pressure over time. The increased blood flow and heart rate during sweating can
• offer some of the same benefits as exercise, although it's not a substitute for physical activity.
2,300 middle-aged men from eastern Finland who were tracked for an average of 20 years (called the Kuopio Ischemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study). Researchers found reduced risk of sudden cardiac death, fatal coronary heart disease, fatal cardiovascular disease (CVD), and all-cause mortality in sauna users. Interestingly, the risk reduction was also dose-dependent. For example, for men who reported using the sauna 4-7 times per week, the risk of fatal coronary heart disease was significantly lower when compared to men who used the sauna once weekly. And perhaps most importantly, the risk of all- cause mortality was 40% lower among frequent sauna users.
Study was nearly 21 years,
- there were 190 SCDs, 281 fatal CHDs, 407 fatal CVDs and 929 deaths from all
causes.
- Compared with men who reported one sauna bathing session per week, the risk of SCD was 22 percent lower for 2 to 3 sauna bathing sessions per week
- 63 percent lower for 4 to 7 sauna sessions per week
- The risk of fatal CHD events was 23 percent lower for 2 to 3 bathing sessions per week and 48 percent lower for 4 to 7 sauna sessions per week compared to once a week
- The amount of time spent in the sauna seemed to matter too. Compared with men who spent less than 11 minutes in the sauna, the risk of SCD was 7 percent lower for sauna sessions of 11 to 19 minutes and 52 percent less for sessions lasting more than 19 minutes.
8. Helps with Weight Management
• Calorie burn: Sweating itself doesn't burn a lot of calories, but activities that induce sweating (such as exercise or hot yoga) can help with weight management. When your body is actively working to cool itself during physical activity, it consumes energy, which can help in burning calories.
9. Enhances Mood
• Reduces tension: Physical activity that leads to sweating often helps release tension and improve mood. Exercise, in particular, releases endorphins, which can boost your mood and alleviate feelings of anxiety or depression.
10. Regulates Electrolytes
• Balance of salts: While excessive sweating can lead to dehydration or electrolyte imbalances, a moderate amount of sweating helps regulate the balance of electrolytes, such as sodium and potassium, in the body. This is particularly important for muscle function and hydration.
11. Promotes Healthier Hair
• Stimulates hair follicles: Sweating increases blood circulation to the scalp, which may stimulate hair follicles and promote healthier hair growth, though this is an indirect effect and not guaranteed.
12. May Promote Longevity
• Sauna use: Regular use of saunas, which induce sweating, has been linked in some studies to various health benefits, including a reduced risk of heart disease and improved life expectancy.
HOW MUCH SHOULD A PERSON SWEAT
Resting (at room temperature): On average, a person sweats around 0.5 to 1 liter
Exercise (moderate intensity): During physical activity, a person can sweat much more. It's not uncommon for someone to sweat between 1 to 2 liters per hour up to 3-4 liters per hour
Hot environments:90-100°F or 32-38°C) can sweat as much as 2 to 3 liters per hour or even more
WHICH TOXINS ARE EXCRETED? A. Heavy metals such as Arsenic, Cadmium, Lead, Mercury
B. Metabolic byproducts - Urea, Ammonia, Creatinine
C. Electrolytes - so make sure you rehydrate and take electrolytes.
D. Medications and Drugs - caffeine, nicotine, Alcohol, Prescription meds - such as opioids Other toxins - Lipophilic compounds -
1. PCBs, - electrical équipement, pain, adhesives
pesticides, - organophosphates
BPA, - plastics
PAHs, - polyaromatic hydrocarbons - tabacco smoke, grilled food, polluted air
Phthalates - plastics
WHAT IF I DONT SWEAT?
Good news - you can train the body to sweat Initial adaptation - 2-4 days
Significant acclimation - 7-14 days
Optimal acclimation - 2-4 weeks
HOW OFTEN -
3-5 times per week
IS THERE A BEST TYPE OF SWEATING
The best type of sweating is the sweating that you will do. Which most often is the easiest. What type of sweating do you like to do?
