Is Sweating Good for Weight Loss?

If you’ve ever weighed yourself after a vigorous workout or a sweaty sauna session, you might have noticed that the number on the scale was a little lower. That could leave you wondering: Is sweating good for weight loss? 

Sweating can help you lose water weight. But it’s not a long-term solution for healthy, sustainable weight loss. Here’s what you need to know.

Does sweating a lot increase weight loss?

The harder the workout, the more you sweat. So does that mean you’re burning fat? Experts say no. 

“Sweating has no impact on fat loss,” said Luke Carlson, MS, founder and CEO of Discover Strength. Sweat cools you down during exercise, but it’s not a measure of calorie burn or fat loss, he said.

You may lose some water weight after sweating, which explains why you might weigh a little less after a sweaty workout. But the loss is temporary. After you rehydrate to replace lost fluids, you’ll gain the weight back.

While sweating doesn’t directly lead to weight loss, it may mean you’re exercising more intensely. Generally, the more intense the exercise, the more calories you burn. Burning calories with regular exercise can help you lose weight over time.

Still, exercise intensity and sweating don’t always go hand in hand. Imagine exercising in a cold environment like cross-country skiing, said Milica McDowell, an orthopedic physical therapist with Gait Happens. 

“You might not feel hot or even sweat much,” McDowell said. “But you’d be working at a high intensity and burning a ton of calories.”

Other factors can affect how much you sweat during exercise or other physical activities. Examples include your body weight, current health, and age. 

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What are the benefits of sweating?

Sweating may not increase weight loss, but it offers other potential benefits. Here are a few:

• Regulates body temperature: Sweat’s main job is to regulate or cool down your body temperature. When you get hot, sweat glands release moisture onto the skin. As that moisture evaporates, it pulls heat away from your body, which helps bring your temperature back down.

• Boosts circulation: Increased body temperature triggers sweating. It also causes blood vessels to widen, allowing blood to flow more easily.

• Moisturizes skin: Sweat contains substances that help attract and lock in moisture on the skin’s surface. That can hydrate your skin and help keep it healthy. 

Can sweating too much be bad for you?

A little sweat is perfectly healthy — and beneficial. But too much sweat can have negative effects, such as:

• Dehydration: Sweating causes you to lose fluids. The more you sweat, the more fluids you lose. You become dehydrated if you don’t replace lost fluids by drinking water or other drinks. Dehydration can be serious, causing fatigue, dizziness, and confusion. 

• Electrolyte imbalance: You also lose electrolytes when you sweat. These minerals help balance fluid levels and support nerve and muscle function, including your heart. If you don’t replace those electrolytes with food or supplements, it can lead to an imbalance. An electrolyte imbalance can cause symptoms, such as fatigue, irregular or fast heart rate, and muscle cramps.

• Skin irritation: Typically, sweat moves to the skin’s surface through tiny ducts. But sometimes, those tiny ducts can become clogged, causing a heat rash (or prickly heat). Common symptoms include small bumps (often clusters), redness, itching, and blisters.

• Heat exhaustion: Hot, humid environments can make you pretty sweaty and put you at risk of heat exhaustion and even heat stroke. Heavy sweating, fatigue, and dizziness are signs of this heat-related illness.

• Underlying health issues: Excessive sweating is known as hyperhidrosis. It occurs when you sweat more than necessary to regulate body temperature. Hyperhidrosis can be a symptom of other conditions, such as hyperthyroidism, menopause, and diabetes. It can also be a side effect of certain medications, like antidepressants.

• Social and emotional issues: Constantly wiping sweat from your brow and soaking through your shirts can be embarrassing. You may feel anxious in public and avoid being around other people. 

Tips for weight loss

You may not be able to sweat off excess weight, but there are proven strategies to help you lose weight in a sustainable way that promotes overall health. 

Exercise regularly 

Regular exercise can improve your physical and mental health. Over time, burning additional calories with exercise may also lead to weight loss. 

Experts recommend 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobics weekly. Aim for 30 minutes of cardio — such as brisk walking, cycling, or swimming — 5 days a week. To round out your routine, add two weekly strength workouts that target every major muscle group. 

Eat a balanced diet

If you’re trying to lose weight, experts typically recommend that you take in 500 fewer calories than you burn. But sustainable weight loss isn’t as simple as calories in and calories out. And it’s important to get enough nutrients to stay nourished. 

Aim to eat a balance of carbohydrates, fats, and protein. Choose high-fiber carbs like fruits and whole grains to cut calories without sacrificing health. Try to reduce or limit foods high in saturated fats, refined carbohydrates, or sugar. 

Stay hydrated

Hydration is important for overall health. Research suggests that drinking more water may also be helpful for weight loss. Staying hydrated keeps your body working optimally. It may also help you burn more calories. 

Your hydration needs depend on your age, weight, and current health. You’re well hydrated if your urine is clear, pale, or straw-colored.

Get restful sleep

Sleep plays a crucial role in weight loss, too. Not getting enough sleep or having poor quality sleep has been linked to overeating and an increased risk of weight gain. Aim for 7 to 9 hours of restful sleep per night.

If you’re having trouble sleeping, making some simple changes to your routine can make a big difference, like changing when you eat, exercise, or go to sleep.  

Manage stress

Being under constant stress can take a toll on your body and mind. Stress causes a spike in cortisol, a hormone that can make you hungrier and crave less healthful foods. 

You can manage stress by incorporating relaxing activities into your routine, such as:

• Meditation

• Outdoor walks

• Yoga

• Playing with pets

• Practicing deep-breathing exercises

Track your progress

Keeping track of your weight-loss progress can help you gauge how well your new habits work. Plus, seeing progress can motivate you to keep going.

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Written by:

Lauren Bedosky

Lauren Bedosky has been a freelance health and fitness writer for nearly a decade. She has written for many brands and publications, including Runner's World, Nike, the UFC, Women's Health, and BlueCross BlueShield.

Edited by:

Alex Eastman, PhD, RN

Alex Eastman, PhD, RN, is a California-based registered nurse and staff medical editor at GoodRx, where he focuses on clinical updates and Latino health.

Reviewed by:

Farzon A. Nahvi, MD

Farzon Nahvi, MD, is an emergency medicine physician and author of “Code Gray: Death, Life, and Uncertainty in the ER.” He works at Concord Hospital in Concord, New Hampshire, and teaches at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth.

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