August 13, 2017
10 FUN FACTS ABOUT SWEAT
Human predecessors originally used panting as the means to cool down before evolution to the hunter-gatherer stage.
When we developed the need to keep our cool during sustained running to hunt, we developed the ability to sweat.
Humans and horses are the only mammals that can produce enough sweat in order to cool down.
Cats sweat through the pads on their paws, not to cool down, but to generate traction, which is why they're able to climb, seemingly defying gravity.
When a horse sweats, it secretes a combination of water and fat, which explains one reason why horses are so lean.
When humans sweat, we secrete only water, dispelling the widely-believed myth that sweat constitutes fat loss.
When we are scared or nervous, our palms sweat for the same reason cats sweat through their paws: to provide traction, as our bodies prepare for a fight-or-flight response.
The first two years of your life determine how many sweat glands your body develops, so people who were born into warmer climates sweat more than those who were born into air conditioning.
Sweat doesn't smell. The body odor we experience as sweat evaporates from the skin is actually dirt and bacteria that was carried out of our pores to the skin's surface by the water, which is why you should always shower after a sweaty workout.
Humans can run, at will, for longer distances and durations than any other mammal because of our ability to sweat. So if you're being chased by a lion, tiger or bear, take comfort in the fact that, if you could out-pace it, you can certainly out-last it.