Are people who sweat when they move physically weak? The answer may be different from what you think!

"People who sweat when they move have weak bodies."

In the hot summer, many people will sweat because of the high temperature, but some people sweat more, some people sweat less. Some people say that people who sweat when they move are physically weak.

Rumor debunked: That’s not the case.

Sweating is a normal physiological phenomenon. For healthy people, sweating or not sweating is an individual difference and has nothing to do with whether one is weak or not.

As soon as July arrives, the weather is like a steamer. You will find that some people around you sweat a lot when they move a little, while others don't sweat much. Some people say that people who sweat when they move are weak. Is this really the case? To solve this problem, we must first figure out one thing - under what circumstances will people sweat?

Why do people sweat?

Sweating is a common physiological phenomenon and a "practical function" that the human body has evolved to adapt to the surrounding environment. Sweating can excrete some urea, lactic acid, fatty acids and a small amount of inorganic salts in the body, regulate body temperature, balance body fluids, and thus reduce body surface temperature. Generally speaking, when the environment changes, the sympathetic nerves of the thalamus will cause the sweat glands to excrete sweat from the pores. The environment here refers not only to the external environment of the human body, but also the internal environment - people will sweat when they are under the control of emotions such as mental tension, shock or fear.

Copyrighted stock images, no reproduction is authorized

Because there are many reasons for sweating, there are also different reasons for excessive sweating. When a person feels that he sweats more than others, it may be due to the following situations:

1. Physiological hyperhidrosis

Some people are born to sweat more than others, which may be because they have more or more sensitive sweat glands, or because their body metabolism is high and their metabolism is fast. People with high physical fitness and large muscle mass sweat more than those who do not exercise at all. Their basal body temperature is higher and they generate more heat. In order to regulate body temperature, the body will dissipate heat through sweating.

2. Psychogenic hyperhidrosis

People who are easily nervous will also sweat more. This is because when you are nervous, your sympathetic nerves will become excited, causing an increase in sweating. But when the tension is relieved, the sweating will stop. For example, when you are suddenly told to go on stage to give a speech, it is normal to sweat coldly as your heart beats faster. When you finish the speech, the tension level decreases and you stop sweating.

3. Gustatory hyperhidrosis

People also sweat when they eat. When you eat spicy or salty foods, the nerve endings are stimulated, which also causes the sympathetic nerves to become excited, which in turn causes you to sweat. This is more obvious when it is hot, and sometimes it is accompanied by a slight increase in body temperature - especially when you eat hot peppers. However, in this case, the sweating during eating will naturally subside after you stop eating.

These situations require attention when sweating more or less

Generally speaking, for healthy people, sweating a lot or not is an individual difference and has nothing to do with whether one is weak or not. However, if you sweat a lot or a little due to the following reasons, you need to pay attention.

1. Pathological hyperhidrosis

Some diseases can also cause increased sweating, such as hyperthyroidism, diabetes, etc. The full name of hyperthyroidism is hyperthyroidism. Because the patient's thyroid hormone secretion is excessive, the body metabolism is faster, the body produces more heat, so the amount of sweating also increases.

Autonomic neuropathy or hypoglycemia caused by diabetes may also cause more sweating. Normal hypoglycemia can also cause sweating because it can also cause sympathetic nerve excitement.

Menopausal syndrome in women can cause people to feel hot and cold, sometimes accompanied by increased sweating. Women aged 40 to 65 years old, before and after menopause, have ovarian dysfunction and fluctuations in estrogen secretion, which can cause vasoconstriction dysfunction, sometimes accompanied by autonomic nervous system disorders, irritability, and increased sweating. In addition, heart failure, myocardial infarction, tuberculosis and other diseases can occasionally cause people to sweat profusely.

2. Pathological hypohidrosis

Generally speaking, drinking less water, low ambient temperature, lack of exercise and other reasons will make people sweat less, which is normal. But there are also some diseases that can cause less sweating, such as severe skin diseases, hypothyroidism and so on.

Because sweat glands are buried between skin tissues, once the skin tissues are damaged, it will affect the function of sweat glands and make it difficult for sweat to be discharged. Many skin diseases can cause such effects, such as scleroderma.

For patients with hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid), it is just the opposite of hyperthyroidism. Their thyroid hormone secretion decreases, and heat production also decreases, so they often feel cold, sweat less, have dry skin, and slow heart rate. In addition, problems such as sweat gland dysfunction, nerve damage, or vitamin A deficiency can also make people less likely to sweat.

Copyrighted stock images, no reproduction is authorized

Some common misconceptions about sweating

1. Sweating to detoxify? NO

Many people think that sweating is detoxification, but this is totally unscientific and will only make you lose water. Sweat is 99% water, and the remaining 1% is sodium, potassium, calcium, chlorine, urea nitrogen and other ingredients. Even if there are trace amounts of harmful substances in it, its effect is not as good as drinking more water or going to the toilet more often.

2. Covering your body to sweat will reduce fever faster? NO

When you have a fever, there will be a period of chills and less sweating during the rising period of body temperature. But when the body temperature rises to a certain level and is about to enter the recovery period, the body will automatically regulate the body temperature by sweating, and the body heat is taken away as the sweat evaporates, so the body temperature is controlled. In other words, the disease is not cured by sweating, but sweating because it is almost cured. However, this phenomenon makes some people mistakenly believe that there is an active and passive relationship between sweating and cooling down, and that "sweating can cool down" and thus blindly cover their sweat, causing electrolyte disorders due to dehydration or damage to body functions due to high temperature caused by "covering".

3. Can heavy sweating help you lose weight? NO

In recent years, sweat-inducing clothes and other things have been popular, promoting sweating to lose weight, but in fact, this is completely a gimmick of the business. It seems that sweating a lot will lead to weight loss, but this is because 60% to 70% of the adult body is water. You are not losing fat by sweating, but just expelling some water. Drinking two glasses will make it come back. If you really want to lose weight, you still have to rely on reliable methods such as exercise and a proper diet.

4. Is body odor a disease? NO

Some people have armpit odor when they sweat. Many people think this is a disease that needs to be treated, and even stigmatize it. But in fact, it is just a very normal genetic difference - just like how many folds your tongue can make.

Body odor is caused by bacteria metabolizing some sulfur-containing salts, carboxylic acids, fatty acids and steroids in sweat. These substances are only secreted by apocrine glands. About 80% of people in the world have body odor, while a small number of people have no odor because of gene mutations, and their sweat glands no longer produce these substances.

Therefore, the so-called body odor is just a phenomenon, not a disease. If it does not greatly affect your life, there is no need for treatment.

In summary, for healthy people, sweating or not sweating is actually an individual difference, and has nothing to do with whether one is weak or not. However, if you are sweating profusely while exercising, and the guy who is drinking a cold drink next to you makes sarcastic remarks to you, then please don't doubt it, in this case, of course the one who is sitting still is weaker.

Looking in the mirror of rumors

People are now more aware of health, which is a good thing, but there is no need to be too "panic". To determine whether a piece of health information is a rumor, you can check it by looking for authoritative sources, consulting professionals, and cross-validating. At the same time, you need to be wary of extreme or absolute statements.

Author: Li Mi, popular science creator

Review | Feng Jun, deputy chief physician of the Dermatology Department of Sinopharm Tongmei General Hospital