How Does Sweating Help You Lose Weight?

How Does Sweating Help You Lose Weight?
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When you shed water weight, you shed a lot of weight quickly. Losing weight in this way can be beneficial if you need to lose weight solely to meet an immediate goal. Wrestlers and other athletes who are classed by weight often take advantage of this. By sweating away the pounds, they can quickly qualify for a lighter weight class where the competition might be easier.

Sweating and Water Weight

The Military.com Fitness Center notes that a few hours of intense physical exercise or comparable activity may result in the loss of as much as 10 lbs. of weight. Nearly all of this weight is lost water weight from sweating. Typically, you regain lost water weight immediately upon eating and rehydrating after your workout.

Long-Term Effectiveness

You can increase the long-range effectiveness of workouts by recovering in the right way. When you eat and drink after a workout, stop eating as soon as you no longer feel hungry. This can prevent your from regaining all the weight you lost. The amount of water weight you keep off will be small, but if you continue this recovery habits, you will start to notice that you have permanently dropped some weight.

Sweating as a Reaction to Heat

While you will regain much or all of the water weight you lose directly from sweating, sweating itself indicates that you are taking other measures to lose weight. As your body temperature increases, your heart rate and metabolism also increase for a time. This can cause you to burn fat, resulting in some long-term weight loss to complement your short-term water weight loss.

Sweating From Activity

Sweating is also an indication of an intense workout. If you are exercising and you have begun to sweat, your workout has reached an intensity level that facilitates the burning of fat. When you have reached this level, you are both sweating off water weight and burning fat to produce the energy you need. As with sweating due to heat, perspiration due to an intense workout does not cause you to burn fat.

Dangers of Dehydration

When you shed up to 10 lbs. in water weight, your body will likely suffer. Mild to moderate dehydration can cause headaches, dizziness, fatigue and a strong sensation of thirst. If you experience these symptoms, drinking ample fluids to replenish your body. If you suffer from severe dehydration, your blood pressure, heart rate and breathing may be affected. You may also suffer a fever or lose consciousness. If you experience symptoms of severe dehydration, seek medical attention right away.

References

Article reviewed by Adela McKay Last updated on: Feb 26, 2011

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