Whether you spend time on the treadmill, the track, or the yoga studio, you end up sweating. This is a sure sign that you've worked out to the max and are in the right heart rate range to begin to lose weight and gain muscle mass.
However, does that sweat alone mean that you're losing weight? Or is it a combination of the exercises that have made you sweaty? Going one step further: does sweating help you burn calories? What happens if you aren't working out? Does sweating when you're walking down the street on a hot day mean that you're losing weight?
The answers to those questions require some explanation.
What Is Sweat?
Essentially, sweating is the body's way of cooling itself down. When you work out (or even just move around on a hot summer’s day), your body gets warm and begins to sweat in order to regulate your temperature. If you didn't sweat, your system would overheat. You would run the risk of heat exhaustion and heat stroke as your body temperature increased. Basically, sweat saves your life.
But does sweat mean that you're losing weight? It depends on the circumstances. Let's explore them here.
Losing Water Weight
Technically, when you sweat, you do lose a little bit of weight. This weight, which consists of water instead of fat, comes out of your pores when you sweat. For example, if you lose one pound of water weight while sweating, you lose exactly that measurement from your overall body weight.
If you're at all familiar with wrestlers, they'll walk around in winter coats in warm weather and spend time in saunas in order to lose enough weight to meet their weight class. However, the second they start drinking water again, that weight will come back. In essence, you do lose weight while sweating, but it's only temporary, not permanent.
What About Burning Calories?
This is another question that's a bit technical and tricky to answer. If you're sweating while you work out, then you're burning calories. However, if you're just sweating and there's no workout involved, you aren't.
It all comes down to movement. The more you move, the more calories you burn, and if you're sweating in the middle of that, then you're more than likely doing a tough enough workout.
Sweating alone, though, won't burn calories. It only takes care of water weight, not fat.
What if You Sweat a Lot?
There's a condition called hyperhidrosis. Those with it tend to sweat a lot without doing much at all. It isn't unusual to see people sweating as they eat dinner, sit and read, or even sleep at night. They aren't burning calories as they do these things (well, they are, but at their resting metabolic rate, not a rate that comes with working out), but they are getting rid of water weight.
In general, people tend to sweat more when they're out of shape, overweight, or are genetically predisposed to do so. Those who work out more often start sweating more quickly after exercising because their bodies are used to it. They'll sweat early on, cooling their bodies down so that they can keep moving for a longer period of time without overheating, no matter what the weather is like if they're working out outdoors.
People who don't work out often or are just starting their diet and exercise routines in order to lose weight usually sweat more than those in better shape and who have an established exercise routine. However, neither group really burns any calories through sweating alone.
To sum it all up, what matters is the rate at which you work out, not the rate at which you sweat, if you're concerned about burning calories. Moving more is the best thing to do.
What About Hot Yoga Classes?
Some claim that hot yoga classes, also known as Bikram yoga, can help you lose a lot of weight in a short time. Studies have shown that this isn't quite true.
As it turns out, men burn around 460 calories per 90-minute class, while women burn 330 calories in that same amount of time. This is far below the 1,000 calories per session claims that many Bikram yoga studios tout. Not only that but both men and women can burn those same amounts of calories (460 and 330 respectively) by doing other workouts for the same period of time.
With that said, if you weighed yourself before and after a hot yoga class, you'd find that you did indeed lose weight. Don't confuse this with burning calories, though. The weight that you lost was all water, not fat. Once you begin to rehydrate after the class is finished, you'll start to put some of it back on.
This doesn't mean that Bikram yoga is useless. Any type of exercise will help you burn calories and, when paired with a proper diet, will help you lose weight.
Is There Anything Else That I Need To Know About Sweat?
We've already discussed whether or not sweating burns calories and helps you lose weight. However, that leaves out quite a few things that you also need to know about sweat.
You Can Dehydrate Quite Easily
Sweating means that you lose water weight through your pores, thanks to your sweat glands. Losing too much of that water from your body can dehydrate you. This is why people drink water mid-workout and use beverages like Powerade after they're done. The electrolytes in those drinks rehydrate you quickly, keeping you from dehydrating.
If you dehydrate, you'll know it. Some of the symptoms are fairly obvious and include dizziness, feeling faint, feeling very thirsty (unless you have heat stroke or exhaustion, in which case you'll be dehydrated but not thirsty), and feeling very tired and confused. You might also have a fast or weak pulse.
If you have any dehydration symptoms, quickly drink some water. Any extreme symptoms, like feeling as though you're going to black out, need to be treated by medical personnel.
Sweating Has a Few Benefits
Although sweating can dehydrate you, it also has a few benefits worth mentioning. One, it can make your skin better. Not only does sweating flush out impurities in your skin, keeping it healthy, but it can also increase the overall blood flow in the arteries and veins directly beneath your skin. It adds oxygen to those areas as well, making your skin look glowing and healthy.
Also, sweating while you work out is a sign that you've reached your heart rate goals and have begun to burn calories. Remember that the sweat itself doesn't do this – the workout does – but it's definitely a sign that you're on the right track.
You Don't Really Lose Weight by Sweating
Although sweating is a sign that the workout you're in the middle of is enough to help you burn calories and hopefully lose weight, the act of sweating itself isn't enough unless you only want to lose water weight temporarily.
Instead, you can follow the general guidelines of eating less and exercising more if you genuinely want to lose weight. Eating less, fewer calories, particularly those that consist of sugary treats and other calorie-bombs, is one way to lose weight. The other? Exercise. By burning more calories than you're taking in, you'll begin to lose weight slowly but surely.
So, what can you do to lose weight? Well, if you don't feel like putting together a meal plan on your own and tracking your calories or macros carefully, then you can stick to already made meals that you just need to heat up. This will help you stay within your caloric range without really having to put a lot of mental work into it.
You'll still need to do the physical work in order to lose weight, but combined, you'll be in good shape – or on your way to good shape, as long as everything goes according to plan. Once you're in the middle of your diet and exercise plan, you'll feel good and appreciate every drop of sweat that you've earned in the gym.
Sources:
Does Sweating Help You Burn More Calories? | Healthline
Does Sweating Help You Lose Weight? Here's The Expert Opinion | Women's Health UK