Does Sweating Help You Lose Weight?

Dropping a few pounds won’t just make you look better; you’ll also feel better. That’s not too surprising, though, given all that it can do for your health. Not only will your joints be healthier , but you’ll also be at a lower risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, even cancer! Considering that, you want to do whatever you can to maintain a healthy weight.

And one of the best ways to do that is to exercise. The question then is, how does sweating fit into the picture? Does it really help burn fat? How is it involved with weight loss?

Find out by reading the rest of the post!

What Is Sweat?

Sweat is a clear, salty liquid that’s made almost completely of water. Also known as perspiration, it’s released from your sweat glands due to an increase in body temperature (from exercise, illness, or hot weather). As it evaporates from the skin, your body will cool down.

That’s right, sweating is your body’s way of controlling your body temperature.

Without this mechanism, your body won’t be able to cool itself. As a result, you’ll be at a higher risk of overheating and heatstroke. In some cases, it can even be fatal.

Understanding Calories

When it comes to weight loss , you can’t do it without first understanding calories. Put it simply, it’s the fuel that your body needs to function. It’s found in all foods and is vital for maintaining your basal metabolic rate.

It also plays a key role in weight loss. That is, you need a calorie deficit to lose weight. There are two ways to achieve this—you can either consume fewer calories (i.e. eat less) or exercise. That brings us to our next point, which is whether sweating has anything to do with it.

Do You Have to Sweat in Order to Burn Calories?

The answer is no—you don’t have to sweat to burn calories. After all, not all exercises will make you sweat. For example, you might not sweat if you go for a run in cold weather. That doesn’t mean that your exercise routine isn’t effective; your heart is still working hard regardless. That is, you’re still burning calories.

Remember, at the end of the day, sweating is just the body’s way of regulating temperature. It doesn’t have anything to do with your actual workout per se, though, you can use it as a loose indicator of how hard you’re working. A pile of sweaty workout clothes is usually a sign that you’ve had a good workout. Keep in mind, however, that everyone’s sweat rates are different, so it makes no sense to compare yours to someone else’s (we’ll be talking about this later).

What About Things Like Hot Yoga?

Hot yoga is more “intense” than regular yoga in that it burns more calories. In fact, many believe that it’s better for weight loss. The truth, however, is a little different. While it will burn calories, the difference is not significant enough to say that it burns more calories than non-heated yoga.

With that said, the heat can force your body to work harder. In other words, your heart rate will go up—so it’s still a good option if you want a good workout.

What Determines How Much You’ll Sweat?

If the number of calories that you’re burning doesn’t determine your sweat rate, what does? The answer is—several things. That explains why some people sweat easier than others.

For one thing, it has something to do with genetics. That’s not all, your sweat rate is also influenced by your weight, age, and fitness level. Out of these, your weight is probably the most important. This makes sense when you think about it, after all, your body will require more energy if you’re heavier. That is, there will be more body mass to cool down.

The fitness level is important as well.

The fitter you are, the faster you’ll sweat.

Why?

Because your body will be more efficient at regulating temperature. In other words, you’ll cool down faster—that way, you’ll be able to exercise for longer (which is probably what you want, anyway).

Am I Out of Shape If I Sweat A Lot?

Contrary to popular belief, the amount that you sweat doesn’t have any significant meaning. Take Alberto Salazar, for example, he’s an Olympic athlete but he also has the highest reported sweat rate. This further proves the point that the amount that you sweat is highly individualized.

Temporary Weight Loss from Sweating

While sweating itself won’t help you lose weight in that it won’t affect the number of calories that you burn, it can lead to a temporary weight loss.

Remember what they taught you in science class? Our bodies are made up of nearly 60% water.

Given that, it only makes sense that we have excess water stored in our cells—this is referred to as water weight. As water builds up, it gets taken into and around the cells, which in some cases, can cause bloating and puffiness.

Ultimately, it’s this water that gets lost when you sweat. As it evaporates from your skin, you will drop a few pounds temporarily. Depending on your water weight, you may lose up to a few pounds in one day! At the end of the day, though, it depends on other factors such as whether you live in a hotter climate.

What Affects Your Water Weight?

Various things can affect your water weight. For one thing, your body will retain more water if you consume a lot of salt. Pregnancy, hormonal birth control, and certain medications can all do this as well. Keep in mind, however, that it’s normal for your water weight to fluctuate during the day—so don’t be too alarmed if you weigh yourself in the afternoon and it’s a couple of pounds more compared to your morning weigh-in!

Note: Normal fluctuations in water weight is different from excess water retention, which is a medical condition on its own (edema).

Water Weight or Fat Loss?

Did you lose a lot of weight in just a few days (e.g. losing >2 pounds overnight)? If so, it’s probably just water (sorry to burst your bubble). As it is, losing fat takes more time. If you have a calorie deficit of 500 calories, you can probably expect to lose 1-2 pounds per week.

The same thing goes for weight gain. If you weigh yourself in the morning and you’re 2 pounds heavier than the night before, it’s probably due to water retention.

Are There Any Risks Associated with Sweating?

Sweating may be your body’s natural cooling system, but it also comes with some risks. For one thing, it can cause dehydration. Basically, this happens when your body doesn’t have enough fluids for it to function. In the case of severe dehydration, it can lead to extreme confusion, exhaustion, persistent dizziness, lack of urination, seizures, and loss of consciousness.

That’s why it’s so important to drink water before, during, and after exercising. Pay attention to how much you’re sweating. After all, the more fluid you’re losing, the more you’ll have to consume. It works out to be a pint of water for every pound of sweat.

The Benefits of Sweating (Besides Cooling Down the Body)

Sweating does more than just bring down our water weight—it has other benefits as well. So, while it might not help us lose fat per se, it can improve our wellbeing. For one thing, it helps our body detoxify (various toxins such as alcohol and urea are released through sweat). The elimination of salt also prevents the formation of kidney stones. On top of all that, sweating can be good for your skin.

How does that work? As you sweat, your pores will “open up” to release whatever’s built up inside. In doing so, it’ll purge whatever that’s clogging the skin. That way, you’ll be less likely to have pimples and blemishes. Keep in mind, however, that too much sweat can be a problem as it can predispose you to skin infections.

The Bottomline

Sweating will not help you lose fat. It might mean that you’re pushing yourself during the workout but there’s no direct relationship between it and the number of calories that you’re burning. In other words, no, it won’t help you lose weight, permanently at least. Remember, it’s part of the body’s cooling system.

With that said, it can decrease your water weight—but that doesn’t really mean anything in the grand scheme of things since it’s water and not fat that you’re losing. Plus, the weight loss is only temporary; it’ll come back as soon as you consume more water.

At the end of the day, the only proper way to lose weight is to have a calorie deficit. To do that, you can either exercise , change your diet , or both (the key is to limit your calorie intake if you decide to go the diet-route).