Intense exercise can cause you to sweat for a while even after you finish exercising as the body is still cooling itself down from the heat you generated during your workout. Vigorous training may also trigger night sweats due to your endocrine system adapting to exercise-induced hormone changes. You may be especially prone to night sweats after vigorous workouts if you are going through menopause. While night sweats usually don't indicate a serious medical problem, you should see a doctor if they occur frequently.
Why You Sweat After Exercising
It is normal to continue sweating for a while after you've finished working out, even on a cool night. In fact, according to Dr. Gabe Mirkin, M.D., you might sweat even more after exercise than you did during your workout. Mirkin explains, your body starts sweating when your blood temperature rises. During exercise, says Mirkin, your muscles produce heat, causing your temperature to rise and for sweat to be produced. The heart also begins to beat faster to pump hot blood from the muscles to the skin where the heat can be released. When you stop exercising, your heart rate slows down, causing heat to accumulate in muscles rather than dissipating through the skin, and your internal temperature rises even higher. As a result, you may sweat more right after you stop exercising than you did during your workout.
Exercise and Night Sweats
In some cases, if you've completed an intense workout that day, you may sweat during your sleep. The common name for sweating during sleep is night sweats. According to an article in "Muscle and Fitness" Magazine, people who work out frequently may get night sweats due to adjustments by the thyroid gland to changes brought about by exercise. According to the article, while night sweats occur in a small percent of the overall population, the occurrence tends to be significantly higher among those who exercise frequently. Some serious medical conditions can also cause night sweats, but if you exercise regularly and intensely, there is a good chance your night sweats just mean your body is recovering from training. If you get frequent night sweats from exercise, "Muscle and Fitness" recommends wearing light, breathable clothing to bed, avoiding use of heavy blankets and keeping your bedroom cool.
Workouts and Night Sweats During Menopause
Night sweats are also a common symptom of menopause which can be triggered by vigorous exercise, according to an article in "Women to Women." However, don't let this keep you from exercising if you have menopause. According to "Women to Women," while intense exercise without sufficient cool-down time can trigger a nocturnal hot flash, or night sweat, regular exercise can also help ease night sweats because they reduce anxiety -- another common trigger for hot flashes in the day and night. As long as you choose an exercise that doesn't make you feel overheated and you cool down afterward, regular workouts are a good way to combat night sweats during menopause.
Other Causes of Night Sweats
Although night sweats can be triggered by earlier intense exercise, especially during menopause, you should see a doctor if they occur frequently in order to rule out any serious medical condition, according to MayoClinic.com. While most night sweats typically aren't a sign of a medical problem, according to MayoClinic.com, some serious medical conditions which can cause night sweats include HIV/AIDS, certain types of cancer, infections, hyperthyroidism, tuberculosis and others. If you take any medication, keep in mind that many medications cause night sweats as a side effect. Antidepressants, hormone therapy and drugs to lower blood sugar commonly cause night sweats.
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