A few people I know say they go to the gym and don’t sweat, and I have seen a few posters here claim the same thing.
Is that even physically possible? When I work out at the gym, I work out and I am sweating within minutes. But I also work out very hard and everyone I see who works out hard sweats. I also see people at the gym who stroll on the treadmill and then pat their head but there isn’t any sweat there because they haven’t really worked out. I don’t consider walking at level 2 or 3 without an incline as a real workout. Of course you aren’t sweating, you aren’t working out. Now you may only be able to do that level at your current physical level–but once you are fit enough to really work out, you would sweat wouldn’t you?
Of the people I know who say they don’t sweat, I keep wanting to say to them, come to the gym with me and let’s see if I can make you sweat! But they are friends and I see no upside to telling them that. These tend to be…er…larger people and I would think they would sweat even more so then I do, just the physical act of carrying around the extra weight would seem to make you sweat even more it seems to me.
But for my own education–any medical dopers or trainers here–can a person truly work out hard and not sweat?
I have lifted weights – and I’m no slouch at that – and not sweated afterwards. I’m sure I could work harder and sweat, but I’m not sure that would actually be productive.
Everyone varies as to sweat rate, but everybody sweats. Those who claim not to sweat simply sweat at a lower rate and it evaporates as fast as it’s produced.
Everyone’s sweat threshold is different, however if you don’t sweat when your body is overheating, it’s a medical condition and you can die from it. I think it’s also one of the stages of dehydration (not urinating or sweating).
Hmmm…that makes some sense. I drink a lot of water and keep myself pretty hydrated, whereas the people I am talking about don’t appear to drink much water. So that might explain it. I also tend to think that the amount of exertion has to factor in. I push weights as well, and don’t sweat as much on them as I do when I run, but at some point even on the weights I have pushed myself to a point where I start sweating.
I think it is just hyperbole on their part, this claim that they don’t sweat. I realize that everyone sweats at different rates, but to claim that you don’t at all seemed a stretch on their part. The people I know in real life who claim this also in general want the easy out to things and also claim that the gym didn’t work for them to lose weight, etc.
My gut reaction to the claim is that they weren’t working hard enough to produce sweat, and I am still thinking that. But I am also old enough and have lived life long enough to know that sometimes my prejudices are wrong (gasp!)–so I thought I would post here and see what the unwashed…er…smart dopers have to say about this.
So is it safe to say that if you pushed yourself at the gym hard enough that everyone would sweat at some point? Or is there a true medical condition where you don’t sweat?
It depends on what you’re working. When I’m lifting upper body, I sweat very little. Granted, I’m usually taking two to three minutes between sets, making the exercise purely anaerobic. When I’m working legs, I sweat like a stuck pig. I think you’re right in that if they never sweat at the gym, they’re doing something wrong. On the other hand, I worked pretty damn hard in the gym yesterday, and didn’t break a sweat at all. My lats and back are pretty sore today, so I know I was doing something right.
I don’t sweat too much in the gym. When doing cardio, my heart rate is in the right range (about 150), and I don’t really get sweaty until maybe 20 or 30 minutes. Of course, I usually go for 45 minutes, so when I get sweaty I get really nasty.
Lifting weights, it’s very rare for me to break a sweat. I’ve got to be on my Ritalin, super focused, and not wasting a second between sets. Even then, it’s nothing bad.
As it happens, my body does not seem eager to sweat. Eventually it will sweat, but later than many other people. It is very rare I am dripping (though it has happened). This isn’t really a good thing, as I have to be very careful not to become overheated in hot weather. When I work outside in summer I frequently soak a headscarf in water to help with cooling me down.
Yes. There is a birth defect or two that results in a person having NO sweat glands. It is physically impossible for them to sweat. This can be extremely hazardous for them, and they have to be constantly on guard that they don’t overheat. The conditions has been known to be fatal.
I am reminded of my junior-high math teacher, Mr. Giles, an incredibly nice guy who put up with a lot of guff from us punks. He raised pigs on the side, and for some reason we were fond of writing on the chalkboard: “People perspire. Pig farmers sweat.”
I once knew a guy who had 2 kids with that, and it’s bad. The kids can’t go out, they have to stay in one room with the AC on all the time. They have to be home schooled, courtesy of the state.
I read a book about a woman who sought surgical treatment of her excessive blushing. The treatment involved cutting a nerve inside her chest. The treatment was successful at curbing her blushing, but it also had the side effect of her being unable to sweat from the armpits up. In compensation, the rest of her body perspired a little more.
I had surgery (micro-ETS) that involved cutting the Kuntz nerve a while back and one of the results from it are that I don’t sweat (normally) from my nipple line and up. Not when exercising, not when it’s hot outside.
Strangely one of the side effects of the surgery the only time I do sweat on my head now is when I eat (or smell, or see, or even think) of cheese. And then I sweat quite a bit (it’s called gustatory sweating) around my hair line and neck. It’s weird (and annoying) to say the least.
EDIT: AudreyK basically described my procedure and condition. Well there ya go !
I worked with a guy who possibly had anhidrosis (complete inability to produce sweat), he also couldn’t grow hair - is that a commonly related condition or was he just doubly cursed?
FWIW, he did all sorts of regular activities, including extreme skateboarding, and would occasionally have to cram his shirt with ice packs when he realised he was overheated.