Sweat Testing: The Secret To A Perfect Race?

[@gtn]

Have you ever had your sweat tested?

[@khadijahamed7858]

No and some coaches don't believe in it 😀

[@MattDion]

Yes! It’s the most important test I’ve ever done. It turned out that I have a higher than average sweat rate and in the 98th percentile in terms of sweat sodium concentration. I use a PH 1500 tablet in 0.5L before every workout and it’s made a HUGE difference in terms of cramping and general fatigue, especially in swimming.

[@ericbeauchamp7385]

@@MattDion same here! I always knew I was a heavy sweater but never gave electrolytes levels a serious thought until now. SUCH a game changer!

[@korywalsh]

Recently met the team in Edmonton and had sweat tested by Abby. I’m a heavy sweater but only moderately salty. The whole protocol they helped me build for PTO Edmonton really helped me on race day. First longer race in a while where cramping wasn’t an issue. I really like their products as they don’t all taste sickly sweet

[@precisionfandh]

🤘that's great to hear kory!

[@robohippy]

You guys introduced me to PH and F. Thank you! I didn't even have to take the sweat test on their web site to know that I was a very heavy sweater/sodium loss. Been dealing with it for years. With this stuff, I can swim as long as I want and as long as I take enough in, I don't cramp during work out or wake up at night with leg cramps. Hated that.... Indoor pool, 82 to 84 F, swim duration about 3000 yards, with no fluids and I would drop 5 pounds. I now have my hydration plan figured to the point where I come out of the pool about the same weight I went in. I do have to take pee breaks though.

[@precisionfandh]

🙌

[@rebeccametcalf4448]

I never use to sweat much but the last year or so I have noticed a sharp increase. Whether I'm running or weight training, it's just dripping off me

[@wildgingerruns]

Ooh I am thinking of doing this!!! Thanks for the film, nice to see Andy B with long hair! :), cheers, Claire

[@alisontriathlonlover]

Thanks, very interesting 👍

[@LindseyH24]

I wonder if the artificially stimulated sweat from the electrodes has the same electrolyte content of normal exercise induced sweating. Has this been tested and verified? Differences in skin blood flow between rest and during exercise would give me reasonable cause to think that these electrolyte sweat rates could be different during exercise than during this test at rest.

[@precisionfandh]

Great question Lindsey. The chemical stimulation of sweating is designed to mimic maximal sweat production rates, and therefore simulating the sweat production of exercise. We've analysed copious exercise-induced sweat samples across a range of athletes, and found marked similarities between their respective artificially induced sweat, confirming that our sweat test accurately replicates exercise sweating. We're currently undertaking a large scientific study to compare artificially induced vs. exercise-induced sweat sodium concentrations, and will of course aim to publish these findings to fully validate this

[@LindseyH24]

@@precisionfandh Thanks for the detailed response. I look forward to reading the papers!

[@TheUntypicals]

You can also test for Cystic Fibrosis via a sweat test

[@luammerces2461]

Never had access to any kind of testing but I've noticed that after exercising for 1+ hour my sweet goes from slightly salty to no salty at all, don't know if it's normal

[@MB-wu3qe]

Not normal

[@addisonwootton3751]

Are you tasting it?

[@luammerces2461]

@@addisonwootton3751 yeah, since I live in a quite tropical country I sweat a lot when training and it's impossible to not get it in your mouth lol 😆

[@DavidTucker85]

Hot and humid conditions destroy me. It's always been very frustrating to go from a 2 hr hm to struggling to hit 2:30. And I just pour out sweat when other people aren't even sweating. I am going to see if some of this testing can help

[@bikeanddogtripsvirtualcycling]

i cant tell if i was hearing things, but it sounded like there was some quite heavy breathing going on behind the camera at around the 14:19 marker

[@davesharratt917]

I heard it too

[@jeffreywilliams3646]

Sweat-related question: after about 75 minutes on my bike, my helmet is pretty much saturated with sweat, at which point it starts running into my eyes and then I'm riding blind. How do y'all deal with sweat while riding?

[@kouzman]

I had the same issue. There is a company that sells straps that tou put on top of your eyebrows and it has a channel that redirects the sweat on the sides of your head. Use difference especially now in the summer months. Veo strips is the name. I don't go out for a ride without them in the summer months.

[@jeffreywilliams3646]

@@kouzman Thanks. I'll have to try them out. I suspect I'm like Mark - high on the salty end - because sweat in my eyes feels like a blowtorch.

[@jamiefuhrman403]

@@kouzman I used these for rowing, they work quite well.

[@laurabaumgras-pearce5699]

I wear a bandana on my forehead. I look dorky and my husband looks like a rockstar but whatever, works for us.

[@LindseyH24]

take a leaf out of the tennis player's textbook and wear an additional headband. Is this indoors or outdoors? If indoors, get about a hundred fans and turn them on maximum

[@jaymenhugo3619]

That's cool

[@jonathanzappala]

I had a normal sweat rate and am a salty sweater. Which verifies the licks I get from the dog after I run haha.

[@sahil_kumar__]

Interesting

[@MrEsPlace]

I must lose a gallon of sweat every half hour on the trail guys. I run by and the trail is wet behind me. Then it just hangs and drips off the forearms and gets slung everywhere. At every step I’m slinging slimy sweat. So I train outside on a trail away from people. Way too gross.

[@laurabaumgras-pearce5699]

I sweat a lot but i don't think I'm super salty because the thought of drinking salty anything sounds disgusting, just give me plenty of plain water.

[@douglasbooth6836]

Why don’t you just weight yourself before and after excercising.

[@precisionfandh]

There are two main factors when it comes to sweat; sweat rate and sweat sodium concentration. The Sweat Test that's highlighted in this video will measure sweat sodium concentration, a relatively stable factor (but varies drastically between individuals) that will essentially tell you how salty your sweat is. Weighing yourself before and after exercise is great practice to understand your sweat rate (how much sweat you lose per hour). This will vary depending on a number of factors such as weather, exercise intensity, fitness levels etc.. Couple your sweat rate figures with your sweat sodium concentration to understand you net losses of fluid and sodium throughout exercise.

[@douglasbooth6836]

@@precisionfandh I know this but weighing yourself takes 2 min and is feee. It’s a start. It’s also great way to see if you are drinking enough as you train.

[@ivanaveselinovic7963]

I don't sweat while I am running😔 I have to pour water on my head while running. I start to sweat when I stop running 🙄 Big, big problem for me in heats 😔🥵

[@douglasbooth6836]

I would think you do sweat while running but it’s evaporating until you stop.

[@douglasbooth6836]

I would think you do sweat while running but it’s evaporating until you stop.

[@ivanaveselinovic7963]

@@douglasbooth6836 nope, dray as gunpowder, my shirt is dray, crazy... And when I stop after 10-20 seconds I start to sweat.

[@douglasbooth6836]

@@ivanaveselinovic7963 the reason I say this is if I use a fan indoors I’m dry if I don’t I’m dripping. Another test for you would be simply weight yourself before and after. If you are not sweating I would see a doctor. 🙈

[@ivanaveselinovic7963]

@@douglasbooth6836 I don't have to, that's how my body is since I was a child, I do sweat but not like most of the people, I am 44 still the same 😁 Now I'm in menopause and I'm starting to sweat but still realy little 😃 My running friends are makeing jokes how they sweat like pigs and I just have 2-3 spots on my shirt 🤣