SWEAT OR GLOW?

Despite what you might think, males and females really don’t sweat differently.

In a recent scientific study that combined the use of sophisticated measurement of skin blood flow and absorbent pads stuck to various body parts, the sweatiness of a group of males and females was accurately calculated. Each study participant was sealed inside a climate chamber (a small room where the temperature and humidity can be accurately adjusted). Under warm and slightly humid conditions, each person cycled for 30 minutes and their perspiration rate during and after the exercise recorded.

The study found men sweated more than women – but the men tended to be bigger in both size (surface area) and weight. So, when size was taken into account, there were no differences in sweat rate.

Professor David Cameron-Smith is a regular Fit Planet contributor. A transplanted Australian living in New Zealand, he obtained a PhD in nutritional biochemistry from Deakin University, and undertook postdoctoral training at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney. His research interests include the importance of nutrition in the maintenance of optimal health in an ageing population, and the impact of nutrition in regulating the function of muscles.

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