Sweating is a commonly experienced side effect of physical training. While it can be helpful for controlling body temperature, excessive sweating may lead to medical complications and should be avoided by adjusting fluid intake during your workout.
Sweat Gland Activity
There are between 2 and 4 million eccrine sweat glands distributed across the surface of your body. Eccrine glands are a type of sweat gland responsible for regulation of body temperature. By coating your skin with a low-concentrated salt solution, sweating regulates your body temperature by heat lost through evaporation, the most effective method possible. The hypothalamus, a specialized region of your brain, acts as a thermometer and is capable of triggering a sweating response if your core body temperatures rise above normal levels.
Dehydration
Excessive sweating that is not compensated by adequate fluid intake may result in dehydration. According to Mayo Clinic, symptoms of mild to moderate dehydration include thirst, muscle weakness, headache, dizziness and decreased urine output. It is important to recognize these symptoms before you develop severe dehydration, the complications of which include heatstroke, seizures, kidney failure and coma.
Hyponatremia
Your sweat is composed of sodium and water. Excessive sweating during training may lead to a net loss of sodium, a condition known as hyponatremia. This condition is more likely to occur if you drink only water during exercise and do not replace the lost sodium. According to Mayo Clinic, symptoms of hyponatremia include nausea, vomiting, confusion, lethargy, seizures and coma.
Applications
To supplement the loss of both water and sodium during exercise, a sports drink containing electrolytes is most helpful in the preventingof dehydration and hyponatremia. Also consider complications of excessive sweating caused by the weather you are training in. If you are running in cold weather and begin sweating, it is important to keep in mind that your body is adjusting to the elevated temperatures of exercise. When you stop running, the sweat will continue to cool your skin, which may be undesirable on a cold winter day.
References
- "Dermatology: Biology of Eccrine, Apocrine, and Apoeccrine Sweat Glands"; Theodora Mauro and Lowell Goldsmith; 2010
- MayoClinic.com: Nutrition and Healthy Eating
- MayoClinic.com: Hyponatremia
- MayoClinic.com: Dehydration
