Fitness Q&A: Does more sweat = more calories burned?

Gourmandize

A. Sorry to burst your bubble, but that's not exactly how it works.

Why do we sweat?

Sweating is a natural bodily process that helps to regulate your body temperature. When it rises, you'll start sweating in order to cool down. Many things can trigger sweating besides hard exercise, including the environment (temperature), emotional triggers (anxiety, anger), hot and spicy foods, illness, nicotine, pregnancy and menopause and sometimes even certain medications. It's also worth noting that sweat capacities vary from person to person. Some people get drenched from swift walking, while others will hardly perspire during a difficult workout. That could all depend on their fitness level, genetic tendencies or how hot it is. 

Does sweating help burn more calories?

Unfortunately, there is no strong, direct link between how much you sweat and the number of calories you burn. The hotter your surroundings, the more likely you are to sweat, but that also means you might not be able to work as hard or as long as you could in a cooler environment. Your metabolism rate might increase ever so slightly, but it's not significant enough to show any drastic results. Same goes for fat loss. You'll definitely have lost some water weight after sweating through an intense workout, but fat takes longer to break down and transform to muscle. Once you drink the amount of liquid you've lost, your weight will go back up. 

What's the best indicator of calorie burn then?

There are two ways of ensuring you'll burn a significant number of calories: exercise duration and intensity. For best results, American adults between the ages of 18 and 64 should do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity per week. Muscle-strengthening activities should be performed in tandem with aerobic activities, at least 2 days per week. 

Bottom Line

Don't use your sweat as a measure of workout efficiency and calorie burn. Just remember to stay active, and follow a balanced diet. It's simple science: in order to ensure weight loss, you'll have to burn more calories than you take in. Now go on and get your workout on!

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