Haven't seen this subject come up in any previous threads, so can I do a straw poll on how much people sweat and how they work around this?
I sweat buckets during physical activity and have always known this. Doesn't seem to be related to my fitness level and I've come to just accept it and even convince myself it's because my body is SOO efficient at cooling itself down.
But it really can be a pain in the neck sometimes. I've had my hair cut in an attempt to remain slightly less scary-looking whilst soaking wet (hasn't had an impact on how much I actually sweat though). Also, reading the article in RW this month about how to make more time for running - hah - most of them don't allow for the time factor required to have a shower etc. after. And running for 10 minutes at lunchtime etc. just isn't an option for the same reason.
Anyone else have these sorts of problems?
Fiona
Comments
I know what you mean and i'm afraid i've had little joy at finding anything that can curb this uncomfortable and inconvenient problem.
As you mentioned, I try to comfort myself with the likelihood that I will never overheat - I'll probably just dehydrate instead.
Cutting the nerves that control the sweat glands on the worst affected areas isn't the answer either, because other parts of your skin just sweat more to compensate.
Take comfort from that sportswear ad that was around last year - ladies glow, men perspire, and winners sweat their chugs off. Now, can anyone tell me what chugs are?
Cheers, V-rap.
I've been told that putting vaseline on your eyebrows gets around this but have yet to try it.
I know I'm not going to stop myself sweating, but was just curious about other people's experiences with this particular problem! It's lovely to know that (1) there are people out there who know what I'm on about and I'm not a sweaty freak, and (2) that there really are people who don't sweat that much and that I wasn't imagining it.
Fiona
I seem to 'selectively sweat' too: I have to constantly wipe sweat off my face, the back of my neck is like a mini Niagara Falls and I have difficulty in removing my sports bra afterwards as it's usually wringing wet. There's a very attractive v-shape of sweat down the back of my shorts, from the small of my back pointing downwards (remind me not to buy light grey running shorts next time!) and my t-shirt is usually dripping down the back and front. That said, my feet remain reltaively dry and my arms and legs the same.
I'm sure I look a complete state when I'm running but frankly, I don't care!
Cheers, V-rap.
I like Fraggle's colour chart, but dark plum would have to be added for hill reps, just to complete the picture.
I've got used to the soaking-wet-purple-face-dripping-ponytail look, but when it freezes in winter, it's a bit uncomfortable.
Fiona
I have recently had my hair cut extremely short, which helps, but I always wear a cap whilst running (sport variety) and I find this tends to soak up the sweat and then drain it down through the peak - largely avoiding the sweat in eyes scenario. Running in a cap is also great for keeping out rain and/or sun (or in recent weather both at the same time!!).
Anyway profuse sweating helps clear the pores so don't worry.
I'm always soaked after a gym workout especially. I console myself with the thought that the ladies coming out of the gym who look as if they haven't done any execise, probably haven't! (or at least not nearly as much as me!)
Try the tech tees & shorts, I started running in old t-shirts & shorts & was soaked through but now depending on weather I either run in running vests or tech-tshirts. I have now stopped most of my drowning bodily sweat, but occasionally like last week even my vest was soaked because of the intense heat of the day, ut I would never go back to normal tees.
With the contact lens issue I have the same problem & the thing that works for me is to wear a hat, (should do anyway during sunny days) then the hat absorbs most of the sweat.
Hope this helps.
;oÞ
M
If you are going to work really hard I find running outdoors the best,really cools you down far more than the fan which occasionally wafts in your direction at a gym!People are also more likely to get out of your way if a grunting sweaty body looms.
Fiona
x
I wear all the hi-tec clothes - doesn't make a scrap of difference - I often have water dripping out of my Nike 'Dry' shorts as I get off the machines.They don't chill you as much tho on the drive home as cotton t-shirts etc.
I wear contact lenses and never have a problem with sweat as I have to wear a headband - and that 'slow's the flow' just enough.
I have a really fast heart rate - easy jogging for me is 198 - resting is 54 - I'm pushing 40 years old - I've always put the sweating down to the HR - as well as the biomechanical inefficiencies I have which means that all exercises involving the legs are really hard work for my muscles - shame I like running really!
By the way, don't you HATE how some people smell of BO when you are waiting to start a race in a morning...don't these people shower / wash when they get out of bed? Yuk!
PS Sweat doesn't smell...the bacteria acting on it does though!
It's why I go running.
I quite often weigh myself in the gym before and after a run, and in the course of an hour's run will usually have lost a kilo (ie a litre) of sweat. For some reason my wife refuses to even touch my running kit when I get home.