Women sweat differently than men

[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.

[emily_in_nc]

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

Uh-oh.

[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.

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

[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.

[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.