While sweating doesn't burn fat, the internal cooling process is a sign that you're burning calories. “The main reason we sweat during a workout is the energy we're expending is generating internal body heat,” Novak says. So if you're working out hard enough to sweat, you're burning calories in the process.
The idea that sweating burns calories is a myth. Most people have this misconception because they believe that the amount of sweat produced is an indicator of exercise intensity, and therefore, the amount of calories burned. In fact, sweat loss reduces both water volume and the electrolyte content in the body⁷ ⁸.
Sweating is actually a deeply individualized bodily experience, and its main function is to help cool our bodies, per recent research in the journal Temperature Medical Physiology and Beyond. To answer the hot question: sweating does not burn calories. Nor does it burn fat or offer a sign of exercise intensity.
While 99% of it is simply water, that other 1% of sweat is electrolytes, which are important nutrients our cells need. Minerals such as potassium, magnesium, calcium and sodium work together to produce electrolytes, which help move water around in our cells, as well as hold water where it's needed.
You will first lose hard fat that surrounds your organs like liver, kidneys and then you will start to lose soft fat like waistline and thigh fat. The fat loss from around the organs makes you leaner and stronger.
Stay hydrated
Drinking water can help cool the body and reduce sweating, Shainhouse says. There's a simple way to make sure you're drinking enough water each day. Divide your weight (in pounds) in half — that's how many ounces of water you need.
Don't wipe unless you're drenched. Sweat releases heat by evaporative cooling. As each gram of sweat transitions from liquid to gas phase, it absorbs 2,427 joules of energy from the body and dissipates the heat into the environment.
"Sweat's main purpose is to help the body cool down," says Jodi Ganz, M.D., a dermatologist at Piedmont. Sweat glands release sweat onto the skin, which then evaporates and helps reduce the body's internal temperature.
In general, sweating means your basal metabolic rate is higher, and you are exerting enough energy to make your muscles work harder. This causes your body to produce more sweat in order to cool down its internal temperature as it evaporates from your skin.
You could sweat profusely and not have burned a lot of calories or fat, or you could be mostly dry and have burned a lot of calories or fat. Your fitness level, genetics, alcohol or caffeine consumption, the environment, and what you're wearing all play a role in how much—or how little—you sweat during exercise.
Can Sweating Burn Fat? Technically, no. You'll probably break a sweat during an intense fat-burning workout — but the sweat isn't the reason you burn fat. So even if you're sitting in a pool of your own sweat, that doesn't automatically mean you've just burned a ton of fat.
Sleeping Naked Can Burn More Calories
As mentioned above, sleeping naked usually means sleeping cooler, and sleeping cooler can boost metabolism and aid in weight loss.
Fitness level: People who are very fit sweat more than their less-fit counterparts. But if fit people and less-fit people are performing the same task, the less-fit person will sweat more because they have to expend more energy to perform the same task.
As you sweat, you naturally lose water; it seeps from your pores onto your skin, reducing any internal water retention. As you won't be carrying as much fluid weight, your body will feel lighter and look thinner, but these results may be temporary.
Getting Active Helps You Sweat More Efficiently
But the more you train your body, and the more time you spend in hot, humid climates, the more efficient you become at sweating. And the better you can regulate your body temperature.
You'll feel less hungry and may even lose weight. You'll probably experience more comfortable digestion (less heartburn). Bowel movements might be easier and more regular. Your teeth and gums will be healthier and more resilient.
When you drink too much water, your kidneys can't get rid of the excess water. The sodium content of your blood becomes diluted. This is called hyponatremia and it can be life-threatening.
Cardio, also known as aerobic exercise, is one of the most common forms of exercise and is defined as any type of activity that increases your heart rate. Adding cardio to your routine may be one of the most effective ways to enhance fat burning.
High-intensity interval training (HIIT)
HIIT workouts, which involve repeated bouts of very vigorous exercise and recovery periods, are far and away the best way to burn fat. Research indicates that HIIT workouts burn as many calories as a moderate-intensity, steady-state workout in one-third to one-half the time.