Women sweat differently than men

[ny biker]

Thanks to TE for pointing this out on twitter and facebook...

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/20/do-women-sweat-differently-than-men/

[Biciclista]

yeah great article, I read it. When i was not fit at all i hardly sweat! things HAVE changed.

[malkin]

Whatever happened to the good old days of horses sweat, men perspire, and women glow?


I never did understand that glow thing.

[OakLeaf]

I glow buckets.

[bmccasland]

I glow like a horse.

[emily_in_nc]

I was really glad to read this as I had noticed that when I run on the treadmill and see other women on treadmills around me, I sweat WAY more than they do. I drip, my hair gets soaked in back. Same when I do my weekly MTB ride with a work friend. She glows, I SWEAT.

Now I know it's just because I'm fit. :D :p

[zoom-zoom]

I was really glad to read this as I had noticed that when I run on the treadmill and see other women on treadmills around me, I sweat WAY more than they do. I drip, my hair gets soaked in back. Same when I do my weekly MTB ride with a work friend. She glows, I SWEAT.

Now I know it's just because I'm fit. :D :p

It's shocking how soaked I get. When I run on a TM the sweat just flies in all directions. I definitely out-sweat my hubby.

[KnottedYet]

Ah-HAH! I'm not a sweaty beast, I'm just more efficient at regulating my core temperature! :D

[colby]

Even if it's bunk, for a few minutes it made me feel better about day to day operations. As soon as my body temperature or workload gets anywhere near warm, I start sweating. I sweat sitting in my office if the temperature gets warm or I get into a (literally) heated discussion. Even if it doesn't get what you'd consider warm, I just sweat. All those TV commercials about sweaty pits make me self-conscious, I admit it. Now I'll just imagine to myself "it's the curse of being fit."

I see people at the gym who don't sweat, too, especially those tiny women who look small but not really muscular or "fit." I figure they aren't working hard enough. Maybe they aren't working hard enough often enough. Maybe I just want to hate them because they are small. ;)

[KnottedYet]

Well, surface area is an X2 function, and volume is an X3 function... so maybe it's just that those small volume chickies have relatively larger surface areas, so don't need to sweat as much to dump excess heat?

Or maybe they're just wimps...

(I'll tell you which theory *I* like better. <snort>)

[malkin]

Wimps with a large surface to mass ratio.

[Crankin]

Well, I am a small woman who sweats buckets. I mean, buckets. I have a hard time regulating my temperature in cold weather riding; I often end up feeling too hot, because I am afraid of feeling too cold! But, I am getting better. It just means that a few pieces of cycling wear that I bought years ago are really too heavy for me to wear as a mid layer. I'll end up wearing them x country skiing at really low temps, though.

[shootingstar]

Well, surface area is an X2 function, and volume is an X3 function... so maybe it's just that those small volume chickies have relatively larger surface areas, so don't need to sweat as much to dump excess heat?

Or maybe they're just wimps...

(I'll tell you which theory *I* like better. <snort>)

I know I don't sweat as much as a sister of mine who is just 1-2 inches taller than and heavier only by 5 lbs. or so. She jogs regularily.

Not sure if it's worth anlayzing my level of fitness according to amount of sweat. I just get pissed off, destroying several good tops with stained pits.

[jessmarimba]

I sweat like crazy if I'm exercising, but otherwise it takes a migraine for me to feel too hot.

[Vanilla]

I was interested in the reader's comment about the possibility of men and women sweating from different parts of the body. I've noticed that the men in my gym sweat a lot down their backs but I tend to sweat from my head and chest. Perhaps it's all due to me having a thick fringe and large chest an nothing more. Who knows? :D

Interesting article though.

[Biciclista]

I see people at the gym who don't sweat, too, especially those tiny women who look small but not really muscular or "fit." I figure they aren't working hard enough. Maybe they aren't working hard enough often enough. Maybe I just want to hate them because they are small. ;)

that was ME! my husband and I used to hike, and he'd be just dripping and I'd be dry and cold. Then i got fit. Now I sweat too!

[colby]

Well, I am a small woman who sweats buckets. I mean, buckets. I have a hard time regulating my temperature in cold weather riding; I often end up feeling too hot, because I am afraid of feeling too cold! But, I am getting better. It just means that a few pieces of cycling wear that I bought years ago are really too heavy for me to wear as a mid layer. I'll end up wearing them x country skiing at really low temps, though.

Thanks, Crankin, you just lent credence to the "(most) small women who don't sweat are probably wimps" theory, since you're certainly not a wimp ;)

(I should add that of course there are going to be small fit women who don't sweat buckets because not everyone is built the same, and I'm just kidding.)

[Crankin]

I mentioned it, because I think there is some credence to the stereotype. I noticed this when I taught at a gym. There were certain women who looked fit, in shape, and were often quite thin. Yet, when they came to my class, they never sweat, and often never had the endurance to make it through my class. This was during the time I was very thin, from just too much exercise, so I really noticed it. I still sweat buckets then, and I always wondered how these women managed to look like they never lifted a finger when working out.
I used to have "names" for all the types I would see when I taught and this was definitely one of the types.

[colby]

So, another interesting connection. While on our bike trip in Italy I got bit by mosquitoes way more than anyone else there. I had them all over and got hit by them FAST. There was one other guy who also was a mosquito attractant, and he was one of the stronger riders.

I was reading up on why mosquitoes love some people more than others, and apparently lactic acid from sweat, an increased body temperature, and carbon dioxide from heavier exhalations all are potential mosquito attractants. The How Stuff Works articles on mosquitoes actually says: "people who don't sweat much don't get nearly as many mosquito bites."

So, if you get fit.... mosquitoes want you. :P

[zoom-zoom]

So, another interesting connection. While on our bike trip in Italy I got bit by mosquitoes way more than anyone else there. I had them all over and got hit by them FAST. There was one other guy who also was a mosquito attractant, and he was one of the stronger riders.

I was reading up on why mosquitoes love some people more than others, and apparently lactic acid from sweat, an increased body temperature, and carbon dioxide from heavier exhalations all are potential mosquito attractants. The How Stuff Works articles on mosquitoes actually says: "people who don't sweat much don't get nearly as many mosquito bites."

So, if you get fit.... mosquitoes want you. :P

Oh, man...mosquitos LOVE me! I'm full of hot air and sweat a ton...that makes sense. :p

[emily_in_nc]

I sweat like crazy if I'm exercising, but otherwise it takes a migraine for me to feel too hot.

Me too, except that I don't get migraines. Just a cold-natured person except when I exercise. And I'm one of the small gals and am here to say (along with Crankin') that size has nothing to do with amount of sweat. It's fitness, I tell ya! :p :D

[emily_in_nc]

So, if you get fit.... mosquitoes want you. :P

Uh-oh. :(

[runningcyclist]

Well, I am a small woman who sweats buckets. I mean, buckets. I have a hard time regulating my temperature in cold weather riding; I often end up feeling too hot, because I am afraid of feeling too cold! But, I am getting better. It just means that a few pieces of cycling wear that I bought years ago are really too heavy for me to wear as a mid layer. I'll end up wearing them x country skiing at really low temps, though.

Hey twin! :D

When I first started cycling I used to wear too many layers in the winter and roasted within 10 mins. Now, 2 years later, I've managed to figure out I need two layers at most and carry one or two more for when I've cooled down off the bike.

It doesn't take much to get me sweating whether I'm walking, running or cycling.

[Jolt]

I think the "fitter people sweat more" thing makes sense too...I'm another small woman who sweats quite a bit, and my sisters who are slightly thinner than I am always give me a hard time when we run together about how sweaty I get compared to them. They don't do as much running etc. as I do. In addition to sweating a lot when it's hot, I also have a lot of vasodilation (read: I turn bright red!)...but I still find the heat really uncomfortable to run in and do much better when it's cool out. I don't know how those of you who live in southern climates do it!!

As for the mosquito thing, I do find that being "sweaty and full of hot air" attracts them--on buggy trail runs, I'm OK as long as I'm running but if I stop for any reason the bugs immediately find me and are a royal pain!

[pll]

Interesting article. I still think some of the sweating is genes at work, but it is more pleasant to think I'm fit.... All family sweats a lot and they are not always fit. I have a very tough time during hot summer days -- my personal best in a 5K was during a 32 degree day. I was wearing shorts and a t-shirt! The flip side is that once exertion is over, my temperature drops precipitously and I get cold.

[GLC1968]

The How Stuff Works articles on mosquitoes actually says: "people who don't sweat much don't get nearly as many mosquito bites."



Unless you are Greek? ;)

I'm actually not a big sweater, even when I'm fit. I'm also NEVER cold when exercising - even in extreme cold (but I cannot handle extreme heat). Funny thing is, I'm frequently cold when I'm sedentary and even when I'm not actually feeling cold, I am cold to the touch. My husband calls me 'cold miser'.

Mosquitoes do love me though. I'm the best bug repellent my family knows - if either me or my father are around, bugs don't bite anyone else. :rolleyes:

Came back to add after reading the article:

I'd be curious if birth location or season/temperature has any affect on the study. I have a theory (based purely on my own observations) that the conditions when you were born affects how your body handles temperature. In my case, I was born in Feb in MN when the temp was -27F...and I'm a person who can handle extreme cold but suffers greatly in the heat. My husband was born in May on the gulf coast of MS when it was hot, steamy and over 90F every day. He rarely has issues with heat or humidity but cannot handle the cold (physically, when exercising...not just living in cold areas)or very dry conditions. I've seen many cases that this also fits though it may be more obvious for people who were born in some type of extreme as opposed to those born in July in Maine or October in FL where temps might have been mid-range.

[jessmarimba]

I'd be curious if birth location or season/temperature has any affect on the study.

Hmm. I was born in Virginia at the end of July and I've lived in VA, TN, FL, SC, and GA and still refuse to turn on the a/c unless I'm driving and glued to the seat of my car. I'm always the first person in CO to wear a jacket and gloves now.

But I also have Raynaud's so I'm not sure how much that has to do with my hatred of being cold.

[Cataboo]

I think it has more to do with where you grow up and what you're acclimatized to...

I was born in Feb in VA - it was a year that had a lot of blizzards, and summers are always hot & humid. I don't typically use the AC and don't mind the heat - but I also love to ski and after a couple days of skiing, I'm talking around in long sleeve shirts at the base of mountains 'cause it feels hot to me compared to the temps at the top.

I do overheat easily while exercising.

[JennK13]

But I also have Raynaud's so I'm not sure how much that has to do with my hatred of being cold.

I, too, have Raynaud's, and it kind of scared me when I moved to CO from CA. I notice it more in my hands than my feet, but I think only because I'm using my hands and they hurt. It can be 85 degrees out, and we're hiking and my hands get cold - even if I'm sweating, my hands and feet are cold.

I don't know about the where you were born theory, but I was born and raised in Southern California for 32 years. I like "mild" temps, 50-75 are perfect for me. While I do get cold (Raynaud's and Hashimotos make me cold ALWAYS), I do sweat when working out, even if I'm not hot. So I'm always cautious about dressing appropriately, especially in the fall and winter, to make sure I'm warm enough even though I sweat. And cotton is rotten, and I've gotten cold from sweating, so I wear moisture wicking clothes to help keep me regulated, which is tough when you sweat buckets!!!

[jessmarimba]

So if I ever see someone else in gloves at the grocery store I'll assume it's you :)

[Jolt]

Hmm. I was born in Virginia at the end of July and I've lived in VA, TN, FL, SC, and GA and still refuse to turn on the a/c unless I'm driving and glued to the seat of my car. I'm always the first person in CO to wear a jacket and gloves now.

But I also have Raynaud's so I'm not sure how much that has to do with my hatred of being cold.

Interesting theory (actually, hypothesis) about where one is born possibly affecting their heat/cold tolerance...what about where one has lived for most of their life? Actually in your case either one would make sense. I was born in the SF Bay Area at the end of December...it's in the 40s and 50s on average there at that time of year according to Wikipedia (assuming their info is accurate). Maybe that's part of why I like fall weather best, since here in MA we have a lot of fall temperatures in that range. I do OK with cold temps as long as I'm active and dressed properly (I have Raynaud's too, so that can be an annoyance if I'm not); heat isn't my thing. The one good thing about hot summer weather, IMO, is that it allows me to swim outside in natural bodies of water, which I like much better than being in a pool. I guess every season has its advantages; I do enjoy the variety of having four distinct seasons here and would miss that if I moved to a place that didn't have the same sort of variation.

[GLC1968]

Thanks, Jolt - my 'hypothesis'! Yes.

And I think it's mostly for extreme cases. I don't know that having been born when it was 60F means that you like 60F. I mean - in both my case and my husband's case (and my mom who was born during a horrible heat wave at the end of June in Chicago when they had no A/C), it's not necessarily what temps we prefer, but what temps our bodies are most adapted to. I love warm sunny days, but I don't perform well during them. My brother, his wife and my father were all born during mid-range temps and the three of them are not notably affected by temps.

I don't think it's upbrigning related, though that probably does influence what temps we choose/enjoy most. I have spent my life moving around from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Maine, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Florida, North Carolina and then here in Oregon. I actually spent more time in Florida than anywhere and while I was able to somewhat adapt to the heat in terms of being comfortable, my body did not like it. I never physically performed well when we lived in FL or during the NC summers. NC is where I started paying attention to this amongst the people I knew because we found that my husband couldn't handle the NC winters at all. He'd have to cut bike rides short on even beautifully sunny winter days because he was shivering so badly. On the other hand, I had to get 'SAGed' home once or twice during summer rides when I totally wilted despite measures to prevent it. Neither of us had paid any attention to this previously but the difference was striking.

Of course, it could all just be coincidence and unless someone wants to pay me to do it, I don't foresee putting together a real study to prove it one way or another anytime soon. ;)

[Crankin]

I really do better in cooler weather, too. The past 2 summers I feel I acclimated myself to riding in 80+ temperatures a little better, but I still feel not that great. I get hot no matter what I do. I am always either over heated or chilled when I x country ski. Riding in Spain was torture for me, as it was about 98 for the first 5 days of the 8 day tour. I hated living in Miami, but I didn't exercise then. I never went outside in Phoenix, when it was 112, except to run into the pool in my backyard and sit in the pool, on the steps, or on a float in the pool. All my exercising was done in a gym; when the nice weather came, I would walk once in awhile, but generally never went outside!

[jessmarimba]

Jolt, I'm shivering just thinking about swimming!

Even though I'm fine with heat and humidity, it still takes me awhile to adapt to running in it. I can't ever remember to drink enough water.

Do the rest of you sweat...saltier...as you get more fit? I can scrape the salt off of my face by the time marathon training ends.

[Jolt]

I hated living in Miami, but I didn't exercise then. I never went outside in Phoenix, when it was 112, except to run into the pool in my backyard and sit in the pool, on the steps, or on a float in the pool. All my exercising was done in a gym; when the nice weather came, I would walk once in awhile, but generally never went outside!

Yes, places like that sound awful!! There's a reason I've avoided places like FL, TX, AZ etc. in my job search. I can't imagine living somewhere so hot that I would be stuck inside all the time--at least when it's cold one can dress for it and still enjoy being outside and being active. GLC, I had to laugh about your description of your husband not being able to handle the NC winters--cold winters are just not something I associate with NC! I guess it's all relative.

I was also just thinking about how my youngest sister doesn't fit the hypothesis about temperature tolerance being affected by the environment in which one was born...she was born here in MA in January but really doesn't care for cold weather. She says she wants to live "somewhere warm" when she finishes school and starts working, and thinks I'm crazy for enjoying running in the cold and snow.

[GLC1968]

Yes, places like that sound awful!! There's a reason I've avoided places like FL, TX, AZ etc. in my job search. I can't imagine living somewhere so hot that I would be stuck inside all the time--at least when it's cold one can dress for it and still enjoy being outside and being active. GLC, I had to laugh about your description of your husband not being able to handle the NC winters--cold winters are just not something I associate with NC! I guess it's all relative.

I was also just thinking about how my youngest sister doesn't fit the hypothesis about temperature tolerance being affected by the environment in which one was born...she was born here in MA in January but really doesn't care for cold weather. She says she wants to live "somewhere warm" when she finishes school and starts working, and thinks I'm crazy for enjoying running in the cold and snow.

I totally agree. I actually would overload my school work during the summers in FL because I couldn't stand to be outside anyway. I had to get special permission too! All I wanted to do was hide in the cool library!

Yeah, I made the mistake of taking my husband to my HS reunion in February...in Boston. Worst weekend of my life! It was bitter cold, grey and dreary and all he did was moan and complain. Of course, witnessing that meant that when I graduated, I knew I had to immediately rule out all far northern cities or I'd be miserable around him all winter. We thought NC would be a good compromise for us, but summers were too hot for me and winters were too cold for him. So far, the PNW seems to be working out ok though!

[Owlie]

DBF grew up in Florida and Arizona. He complains all the time about winter here. 50s and 60s are apparently cold. He doesn't handle humidity well.

I grew up in New York and southern Ohio. I'm fine with cold. Just layer! What I don't handle well is heat and humidity--you sweat and it does nothing. Once it gets above 85 or so, I turn into a slug. All I want to do is hide somewhere air-conditioned.

[arielmoon]

I am an aclimator. I think I made that word up. I was born in Philly but spent most of my childhood in FL. I went away to school in MA then to Boston University. My first summer back in FL I thought I was dying and my first winter I was chuckling at all the cold people. Then I acclimated and I can deal with extreme heat. When it starts getting colder I adapt to that well too.

What I have a hard time with is cool nights in the 40's and daytime high's in the upper 80's or so. My body doesnt know what to do!! I get hot flashes of sorts because my body was ready for all the cool weather and instead it is hot.

[OakLeaf]

I grew up in a variety of climates too. Never anything that was super cold or super warm year round, but by the time I was 14 I'd experienced -40° (which is the same C or F), +115°F (46°C, but it was a dry heat ;)), and Chicago-area humidity.

My body just doesn't make warmth in the cold. Even in north Florida, if the winter stays cool, my toes are blue. In Ohio, my toes are literally blue from October through April. When I go to sleep on a cool night, I have to wear a cap, wool everything, three blankets drawn up over my head with only my eyes and nose exposed, and I still spend a half hour shivering before I can sleep.

I can acclimate to heat, but I'm also prone to overheating when I'm not acclimated. I try to stay out of AC as much as possible - I don't like it anyway, but the less I have to deal with it, the easier I can acclimate to heat.

[malkin]

So if I ever see someone else in gloves at the grocery store I'll assume it's you :)

I'll say hi to both of you who remembered your gloves!
If you see someone hurrying through the grocery store with her left hand tucked in her armpit and her striped right hand pushing the cart, that's me.

[colby]

After a few years of year-round exercise now, I'm pretty well convinced I was born to exercise in overcast skies in the 50s. Coincidentally, I grew up in Seattle and have only lived in Washington. ;)

My husband spent a few years in WA, then moved to CO, then spent 10 years in TN before moving back to WA in college, where he's lived since. He can't tolerate the cooler temps nearly as well. There are probably other factors, but I wonder if it's just the environment you spent/spend the most time in outside collectively - we all (generally) spend a lot of time outside as kids, and maybe that's where we do the majority of our general acclimatizing.

It takes me a few weeks to acclimate to warm summer weather, and I still haven't quite figured out the formula for high effort or endurance exercise in hotter temps with lots of sun.

[moonfroggy]

i have spent time in snow (not super cold maybe 10 degrees Fahrenheit but still i did better than my aunt who lived at the south pole for a while) and time in tropics and i always seem to adapt quickly and do better than others regardless of climate. i was born in San Francisco in march so was probably pretty mild weather.