Does sweating mean losing weight?

We often sweat, whether during intense physical exertion, during the night or during a hot day. So, following an intense session of Crossfit or rowing, we wonder if sweating a lot is a sign of a decrease in weight. We consult the scale, and we see its weight drop more or less significantly just after the effort. We then go so far as to cover ourselves too much during a sports session to increase our sweating. But we're not going to lie: certainly, sweating can make you lose pounds… but only kilos of water! So pounds that you will regain as soon as you drink.

Sweating after exercise makes you lose weight on the scale

sweat and lose weight Most of us know that sweating makes you lose weight on the scale, but this difference in weight is only there in the very short term. Indeed, as soon as we rehydrate, we will necessarily regain our previous weight. We must therefore face the facts: sweating does not mean losing weight. We do know that sweat is almost entirely composed of water, with only 1% of this sweat evacuation being made up of mineral salts and lactic or uric acid.

So you now know that, if you weigh yourself before and after a fitness class, during which you have sweated a lot, the weight on the scale will not be the same, since your body has lost a lot of water. If sweating is essential for your body, it is not really it that will make you lose weight. The evacuation of sweat is, in reality, only a kind of heat exchange that allows heat to be evacuated through the pores in order to regulate the internal temperature of the body.

Loss of water, but not fat

We will have understood: if sweating follows the effort and the loss of calories, it does not mean that you have lost weight. The effort causes the body to lose water, hence the more or less important difference on the scale. But this weight loss is not sustainable, because it is only a loss of water, but not a loss of fat. So, as soon as you rehydrate, this difference in weight will disappear.

Sweating helps to evacuate toxins

sweating makes it lose weight But we reassure you: if sweating does not directly cause weight loss, it still has a beneficial effect on your figure and your health. It may not affect your weight, but on your cellulite and orange peel, its effect is real. Indeed, sweating can be compared to urine, which expels liquid waste from the body. During sweat evacuation, the body can get rid of toxins, pesticides, heavy metals and other drug molecules that accumulate in the cells.

However, by sweating, we also lose minerals that are essential to the proper functioning of the body. That's why it's important to find a good balance during the recovery phase. To do this, we choose water rich in minerals as well as fruits and vegetables rich in nutrients.

How can sweating help you lose weight?

From now on, we must no longer think that sweating is not enough to lose weight. Sustainable weight loss rather requires that calorie expenditure be higher than caloric intake. If this energy expenditure makes you sweat so much, it is because your body temperature is rising and it needs to be regulated.

But rest assured, sweating is a good ally to lose weight with sport. For this, it is necessary that sweat can eliminate all toxins and body waste. This is where activities such as the sauna and steam room come in, which provide healthy sweating for both the body and the skin.

The ideal is therefore to treat yourself to a sauna or hammam session just after practicing sports. The expense during a sports session can indeed mobilize fat, but it also leads to waste (lactic acid and ammonia) that will only be completely evacuated by the exacerbated sweating of the spa.

It is therefore necessary to do sports and sweat at will to feel good in your body while achieving your slimming goals. Sport certainly has many benefits, but you should not rely on it alone to lose weight. We know that calorie expenditure goes hand in hand with optimal calorie intake: to lose weight, you also need a healthy and adapted diet.

Finally, remember that water is the first fuel that our body needs to function well. It is therefore essential to quickly compensate for the loss of water caused by sweating, by drinking at least 1.5 liters of water per day. If you practice sports, it is essential to hydrate yourself before, during and after the session.

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