TOP 10 SWEATING FACTS

ODOUR EATERS

The only situations in which your sweat will naturally have an odour (without coming into contact with bacteria) is if you’ve had full-on curry or a dish rich in garlic or onions. Nice.

FOOT FUNK

Most of your sweat glands are on your feet, not under your arms.

MAKING YOUR MARK

Those unattractive yellow stains on the armpits of t-shirts are caused by the fatty acids found in the sweat released by the apocrine glands.

DEAD DRY

Camels can sweat up 25% of their own body weight and stay hydrated. A human would die after sweating away just 12% of their body weight.

THE INGREDIENTS OF SWEAT

The exact make-up of sweat differs from person to person but it’s mostly made up of water, salt, and metabolic waste and elecrolytes. Which is precisely why electrolyte-rich drinks are so important during and after an intense workout.

BOYS vs GIRLS

Women have more sweat glands than men. Weirdly, men tend to sweat twice as much as ladies.

MERCURY RISING

The more humidity there is in the air, the harder it is for sweat to cool you down. You’ll overheat easily in these conditions so exercise in humid climates with caution!

RISING DAMP

Men can lose up to two and a half litres of water while exercising. And those who aren’t used to working out in hotter climates can sweat up to three litres.

EXIT ROUTES

The human body has between 2 and 4 million sweat glands all over the body. The vast majority are on the hands, feet, forehead, armpits and groin.

SUBTLE SWEAT

Sweat itself doesn’t actually smell. It’s the combination of bacteria and sweat that causes body odour.