Interesting Sweat Facts

Your body has 4 million sweat glands.  Most of your sweat glands are on your hands, feet, face and in your armpits. There are no sweat glands on the nails, ears and lips.  Women have more sweat glands than men, but men typically have more active sweat glands.

Sweat or perspiration consists of water, salt, potassium and waste materials. Sweating is the excretion of moisture that is produced in special organs in the skin, i.e. the sweat glands.

You do not sweat continuously, but a little every now and then. Small quantities of sweat are excreted about six or seven times a minute. A hard working adult can sweat up to around 4 gallons (15 litres) a day. This varies depending on the temperature and humidity of the environment, but even in normal circumstances, the average person sweats up to 1.5 gallons (6 litres) per day. Half a pint (about 240 mL) of that usually comes from the feet!

Just 1% of all perspiration moisture originates from your armpits. Because this part of the body is so badly ventilated, it evaporates less quickly than in other parts of your body. And that's why it seems as though you sweat most under your armpits. You sweat more under your arms when you're standing up than if you're sitting or lying down.

Those with the condition hyperhidrosis sweat up to five times as much as those with normal sweat glands. People with anhydrosis, however, don't sweat enough to cool their bodies. This condition can be fatal if the body gets overheated.

The smell of sweat is influenced by what you eat. For example, garlic and spices give off strong odours. Clean and fresh natural clothing (e.g. cotton) prevents unpleasant odours. Smell of ammonia is caused by physical activity like sports. People who regularly engage in sports have bigger and more active sweat glands. If you’re in poor physical shape, you’ll start sweating once your body temperature reaches 37.2 degrees. If you’re in good shape, you won’t sweat until your body temperature reaches 37.7 degrees.

Pigs do not sweat. That's why they coat themselves in mud to stay cool. Dogs and cats do sweat through the pads on their feet. A rabbit's sweat glands are around its lips.