Fitness studios have been drawing people in for years with the promise of “sweating out” toxins in your body. Some exercisers work out in warm clothes such as hoodies and sweatpants to sweat more when they work out. Others sit in saunas. But is sweating really good for you?
Cleveland Clinic shares that sweating is good for preventing overheating but doesn’t sweat out toxins like you might think – instead, your liver and kidneys take care of this. In addition, they share that it helps protect skin from infection, and hydrates your skin. So there are three functions of sweat that make it technically “good for you.”
“Sweating is a normal and important function of the body. Its primary purpose is to help regulate body temperature and prevent overheating,” says Dr. Mona Foad, board-certified dermatologist and founder of MONA Dermatology. “While people often associate sweating with ‘detoxing,’ the reality is that sweating is less about removing toxins and more about helping the body maintain a safe internal temperature.”
How Beneficial Is Sweating?
Foad adds that the idea of eliminating toxins comes from sweat washing away trace amounts of heavy metals from the skin, rather than flushing toxins from inside the body. One study showed that exercise was slightly more effective for this than static exposure to hot environments, such as saunas.
“But the main benefit is not the sweating itself, but rather what is causing the sweating. For example, exercise has many well-established health benefits for the cardiovascular system, muscles, and overall well-being, and sweating is a byproduct of that process,” Foad says. “Similarly, saunas and heated exercise classes may help some people feel relaxed or improve circulation, but sweating itself should not be viewed as a measure of how healthy or effective a workout is.”
How Much Sweat Is Typical and Helpful?
Those who are experiencing excessive sweating, or feel they don’t sweat enough, might wonder what a typical amount is and how much is helpful to the body for the reasons above.
Foad shares that there isn’t a specific amount and that it varies from person to person, based on genetics, fitness level, environment, medications and their health. “Some people sweat very little while others sweat quite a bit, and both can be completely normal. What’s more important is whether your sweating pattern is typical for you and whether it changes significantly over time,” she says. If excessive sweating becomes an issue, she says there are medical-grade antiperspirants and other treatments that can help.
Do Deodorants Inhibit Healthy Sweating Processes?
A common question from patients is whether their deodorant is messing up their body’s ability to sweat. “For most people, antiperspirants do not interfere with the body’s ability to regulate temperature. Antiperspirants work by temporarily reducing sweat production in the areas where they are applied, most commonly the underarms,” she says. “The body has millions of sweat glands distributed throughout the skin, so blocking sweat in one small area doesn’t prevent the body from cooling itself effectively.”
For those who have excessive sweating, she shares that antiperspirants can significantly improve their lives without impeding the body’s cooling system. She says not to use it on the entire body, however.
If excessive sweating is an issue, she recommends reaching out to a healthcare provider promptly.
Reporting by Alexandra Frost, USA TODAY / USA TODAY
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