6 Factors That Influence How Much You Sweat

Sweating is often associated with heat and exercise. And it’s true — you sweat when you’re hot or doing a brutal workout. It’s an essential bodily function that keeps us cool (and lets you know you got a good workout in!)

But why do some people sweat like a faucet while others seem to glisten (or barely sweat at all)? Let's dive in to learn more.

How Much Does the Average Person Sweat?

The human body has approximately 3 million sweat glands, and the average person sweats up to 1.5 gallons per day. Active or hard working adults can sweat a maximum of four gallons (or 15 liters) a day, depending on their activity level and temperature. 

But temperature alone doesn’t influence how much you sweat or where. Here are six other factors that influence how much you sweat.

1. Physical Fitness

Your body temperature spikes when you're active, so the higher the intensity, the more you sweat. Still, two people of similar size can complete the same workout and sweat totally differently. As you build endurance, your body becomes more adept at sweating to keep you cool.  Studies show athletes sweat sooner and more heavily than untrained people because they have a higher maximum oxygen uptake — a measure of high cardiovascular fitness and aerobic endurance.

2. DNA

Why do some people sweat more in certain areas than others? Much has to do with your DNA (or predisposition to sweating). Some people start sweating in a particular area — like their armpits or feet — because those glands react to the brain's signal first. Hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating) is also a hereditary condition influenced by your genes.

3. Body Weight

Leaner people tend to sweat more efficiently and handle heat better than overweight individuals. Because fat  acts as an insulator, people with excess fat may feel hotter, sweat more profusely and take longer to cool down than a leaner person .

4. Distribution of Sweat Glands

The placement of your sweat glands also influences how much you sweat. Your body contains roughly 2 to 5 million sweat glands located all across the body, which consist of two types: eccrine & apocrine. If you sweat in a certain area, you may have a higher concentration of sweat glands there.

5. Sex

Does being a man or woman really affect how much you sweat?  Studies say yes. While women have more sweat glands, men’s sweat glands tend to be more active than women’s, so they sweat more. And physical endurance only intensifies the results, meaning fit men sweat significantly more than untrained or unfit women and dissipate heat better.

6. Acclimatization

Known as the process of adjusting to environmental temperatures, this mechanism largely influences how much you sweat. When you regularly spend time in the heat, you become more acclimated to the temperature and sweat more efficiently.

Managing How Much You Sweat

The ability to sweat is an advantageous trait that keeps you from overheating during a grueling workout. But sweating excessively and spontaneously — regardless of the temperature or physical activity — can take an enormous toll on your life.

Although how much you sweat hinges on biological factors such as DNA, sex and the location of your sweat glands, that doesn’t make you beholden to excessive sweating. There are steps you can take combat sweat and appear dry as a desert.

The Thompson Tee sweat proof shirt is designed to completely absorb armpit sweat while allowing it to evaporate. The result? No embarrassing underarm wet marks or yellow stains. 

If you’re looking for a solution to underarm sweat, we encourage you to try a Thompson Tee, available for men and women, risk-free. Wear it, wash it, and if it doesn’t totally block your underarm sweat, we stand by our money-back guarantee.