My Sweat is Talking

When I workout, I sweat...big time! I smell really bad and when it drips in my mouth it's very,very salty. The worse part (for anyone near me at all) is that i smell extremely bad. I'm not even joking. It's not a b.o. kind of smell, just a bad smell (I can't explain it).

Well, it looks like my sweat has been trying to tell me something this entire time:

Stinks: Your diet may be to blame. Caffeine stimulates sweat glands under your arms and in your scalp and groin, which secrete a fatty, odiferous sweat. And if you eat a very low-carb diet, your body breaks down protein and fats, creating acetone, which is excreted through sweat and has a distinctive ammonia smell.

Pours: You're hydrated and working hard. Seasoned riders may not sweat more than cyclists who aren't as fit; but they're able to work harder and produce more sweat. In hot conditions, however, fitter athletes have greater sweating capacity, according to research published in The American Journal of Physiology.

Stains: You may be losing a lot of salt. Less-fit riders who aren't used to riding in heat shed more sodium than their fitter, heat-acclimatized counterparts. Choose a drink with 400 to 600 mg of sodium per serving.

Stops: You're not adequately replacing your fluid loss, says Penn State University sweat researcher Caroline Smith, PhD. Performance starts to plummet when you lose more than 2 percent of your body weight. This is a sign of heat exhaustion, when your core temperature can rise quickly, potentially leading to heatstroke

This is how to calculate your sweat rate per hour:

• (Weight before an hour-high intensity) — (Weight after this run) = Weight lost.
• (Weight lost) X 16 = Ounces of sweat lost during run.
• Ounces of sweat lost during run + Ounces of fluids consumed during the run = Sweat rate per hour.

Why we sweat:

Armpits, Anus, Genitals

The apocrine gland is a type of sweat gland that produces sweat that has protein and carbohydrates, which is why you get that yellow stain on the armpit of your shirts. It also has a more thick and milky consistency, which can smell because of the bacteria (healthy bacteria) that live on your skin.

Apocrine sweat is produced by adrenaline, which is controlled by your adrenal medulla. So when you start to work out these are usually the areas that start sweating, as your body needs adrenaline to work hard. In the woolly mammoth days, the smell of this sweat also worked as a defense to predators.

Side note: Asians have fewer apocrine sweat glands than other races, which is why scientist believe they tend to be less prone to body odor.

Palms, Feet, Forehead

The eccrine glands are the most common sweat glands that are found on the palms, soles of your feet, and your forehead. Eccrine glands secrete a clear, odorless sweat that helps regulate your body's temperature by allowing heat loss through evaporation. These glands are controlled by the hypothalamus and tend to be primarily activated by emotional stimuli and stressors that increase body temperature.

If you have a lot of nervous energy, feel angry, or are surprised, these are the areas you will start to sweat from first. This sweat will be especially prevalent after a stressful day at the office, getting cut off in traffic, or dealing with a pissed off person.

Face and Scalp

The microscopic sebaceous glands are in your skin, which secretes an oily, non-odorless liquid that waterproofs and lubricate your hair and skin. Today, lower levels of sebaceous activity are found because they don't serve as much of a purpose in modern human life.

Some Sweat, Some Don't

Everyone sweats differently under different circumstances. If you're a healthy individual who hits it hard and still can't break a sweat, then you could be dehydrated. Drink plenty of water, cut down on your margaritas, and get 20 to 30 minutes of exercise—call it "sweat exercise".

Regardless of where you sweat, remember that sweating is extremely important for your body. By staying hydrated and doing exercise, in a weeks time, you will notice your sweat change. In the beginning, sweat can be salty and oily. As you sweat more, it gradually changes to a watery, clean and fresh sweat.

What does the sweat taste like? 

• Salty: You have been eating a great deal of carbs: breads, pasta and fried foods.

• Sweet: Lots of sugar in the body with can come from fruits, chocolate, candy, or alcohol.

• Sour: You've had a bit too much dairy and soy products: milk, cheese, or tofu.

• Vinegar: Too much protein and animal products, which gets turned into ammonia.

• Thick: When your sweat is thick there is a lot of gluten in the body which comes from breads and pastas.

Margaritas: Margaritas...enough said

What does your sweat say?