It’s normal to sweat when you’re exercising fanatically. Especially when running or during a heavy workout in the gym, your sweat production goes up. This is a natural process. It gets more annoying when your sweat stinks and you, and your fellow athletes, suffer from this. Are you ashamed of a bad smell of sweat when exercising?
Why does my sweat stink?
We all sweat. It’s a way of cooling the body. Is it scorching outside or are you exercising fanatically? Then you’re going to produce more slaw. When the sweat evaporates from the skin, it absorbs heat that would otherwise have landed directly on the skin.
Sweat moisture consists to a large extent of water and salt, but also of other substances. These include para cresol and orthocresol. These are two disinfectants. These substances do not provide sweaty air when exercising. The smelly sweat is produced by the apocryphal by sweat glands. These are located under the armpits, around the nipples and the anus. This sweat is fatter and contains substances that start to stink when they come into contact with bacteria on the house.
In some people, these apocryprite sweat glands are much more active than others. More smelly sweat is produced. Sweat can also smell more when proteins are broken down instead of carbohydrates (as an energy source). Sweat then gets an acidic ammonia-like smell.
And sweaty feet then…
It’s not just the sweat on your upper body like, under your armpits, that can start to stink. Many athletes also suffer from sweaty feet. Our feet also have sweat glands to cool and hydrate the body. Excessive sweating can lead to foul feet. This is not due to the sweat itself, but to bacteria and fungi that live on your feet. These thrive in a humid and warm environment. Because you have socks and sneakers on while exercising, you create the ideal conditions for stinky feet.
The bacteria and fungi on your feet feed on dander and leave certain acids on your skin. In combination with the fabrics in sweat, these create a dirty sweat air. But what to do against sweaty feet? Below you can read the best tips against a dirty sweat smell when exercising.
Avoid bad sweat air when exercising.
Don’t worry too much about the sweating itself. Sweating is natural and a means of cooling and hydrating your body. If you don’t sweat, chances are you’ll overheat while exercising. But does that sweat smell make you insecure and do you suffer a lot? Then you can try the following tips against a sweat smell when exercising!
Wear airy sportswear
Do you like to wear tight clothing while exercising? Then make sure that the sportswear is of high quality and that it breathes well. If your sports clothes don’t handle heat well, then the sweat keeps ‘scalding’. There is more and more sweat accumulating under your armpits (and in other places). This makes the sweat air stronger.
By wearing airy sportswear, the heat is better regulated, and sweat can be drained well. Not only does this feel more comfortable, but your sweat will also smell less. Surely some sweat patches and a musty smell in your favourite sports outfit? In this blog, I give tips on washing sportswear!
Eat enough for training.
Does your sweat often smell sour and even a little like ammonia? You probably don’t eat enough. If your body gets too little energy in carbohydrates, it will start consuming proteins as fuel. When these proteins are degraded, an ammonia smell is created, leaving the body through your sweat.
So make sure you have a carbohydrate-rich meal about one and a half to two hours before your workout. This has more advantages than counteracting a dirty sweat air when exercising. Your sporting performance will also improve. Also, you help maintain your muscle mass in this way. Is your body going to break down proteins? This is detrimental to your muscles.
Drink enough water while exercising
Besides that it is important to eat enough, it is also recommended to drink enough during exercise. This does not cause you to sweat less, but it dilutes the concentration of your sweat. Because you perspire more moisture, the concentration of scented substances is lower. This way, the smell of your sweat is less strong. Compare it to morning urine, which also smells stronger than if you drank a lot of water during the day.
Shave your armpit hair
Do you have a lot of armpit hair or chest hair? Then this could be a cause of that annoying sweat smell. Armpit and chest hair holds the sweat and makes it difficult to evaporate. Also, more bacteria and dander remain in it. In combination with high sweat production, this causes your sweat to smell faster. A good and easy solution is to shave chest and armpit hair.
Use a good antiperspirant.
This tip against a nasty sweat smell when exercising is, of course self-evident. But still important to mention: choose a good deodorant that suits your body and activity level. When you perspire quickly and a lot, it is important to buy a good deal, with a strong antiperspirant effect. Also, pay attention to your skin type.
Do you have sensitive skin, or is your skin hypersensitive to some ingredients of deodorants? Then choose a brand especially suitable for sensitive skin or without allergens. Always choose an antiperspirant and not just a deo with a nice smell. Antiperspirant counters sweating, while a deodorant with air only masks the sweat smell (temporarily).
Pay attention to your personal hygiene.
Does your sweat stink? Then of course this does not mean that you have poor personal care. Overactive sweat glands increase the production of sweat and this can quickly start to stink. Nevertheless, hygiene plays an important role in reducing sweat air.
By washing yourself well and especially drying yourself well, you reduce bacteria, fungi and dander on your body. This makes it less easy for the fabrics in sweat to mix with the above particles on the body. Sweat will smell less!
Especially with sweaty feet, this is important. Wash your feet every day and dry your feet well, especially between your toes. Bacteria and fungi multiply quickly in warm and moist spots, such as between your toes. Also, regularly cut your toenails to prevent the accumulation of dirt below. Hard spots and calluses on your feet you can gently file.
Wear clean socks every day
A lot of sweaty feet? Then it is important to wear clean socks every day and change sports shoes regularly. Preferably wear socks and shoes made of natural materials. These are airier and carry sweat better off. Think leather shoes and cotton socks.
If you wear the same socks for several days, the bacteria and fungi accumulate. As well as old sweat. If you go back to sports, you will soon experience a dirty smell of sweat. Nowadays, there are remedies available that you can sprinkle in your shoes. These powders fight the fungi and bacteria that cause sweaty odour.
Counteract excessive perspiration feet
Do your feet or armpits sweat fast? Then you can consider using a special spray (such as PediFris or Odorex for example). These remedies cause the sweat ducts to be narrowed. This reduces sweat production at that location. So you can use this under your armpits or on your feet. Pay attention; your body still wants to excrete sweat, and you will probably sweat more on other body spots. However, these are the places that are less likely to cause nasty sweat smells.
