Is it hot where you live? During the summer months, many parts of the United States get hot… sometimes VERY hot! If you play or exercise outside, you're likely to work up a sweat in a hurry.
You may even hear people say they're “sweating buckets." What are they talking about? No, they don't have buckets coming out of their skin, but they are probably sweating a lot.
Why do some people use the phrase “sweating buckets" to mean that they're sweating a lot? Well… buckets come in all sorts of sizes, but one common measurement is that a bucket is equal to five gallons.
Can you imagine sweating enough to fill a five-gallon bucket? Probably not! That would be a lot of sweat. But you can see how the image of a bucket of sweat can communicate the idea that you're sweating a lot.
Sweating — also known as "perspiration" — is your body's way of cooling itself to regulate temperature. Everything your body does generates heat. Whether it's exercising, eating, or even sleeping, your body constantly produces heat.
To stay healthy, your body needs to maintain a fairly constant temperature of 98.6° F. When you exercise, especially during the hot summer months, your body temperature can rise rapidly.
To keep from overheating, your body uses your blood and skin to get rid of excess heat. As your blood heats up, it carries the heat to the skin, which causes your sweat glands to produce sweat.
Sweat is mostly water with small amounts of salts and amino acids. As sweat comes out of the tiny pores in your skin, it evaporates and cools the skin beneath it. Scientists estimate that one drop of sweat can cool one liter of blood by 1° F.
Believe it or not, you sweat all the time — even when you're asleep! How much you sweat, though, depends mainly on your body temperature.
As a general rule, you'll sweat less in winter and more in summer because your body as a whole is usually cooler in the winter and hotter in the summer.
Adults who exercise a lot can sweat up to four gallons each day! Under normal circumstances, the average person sweats up to 1.5 gallons each day.
Would you believe that about half a pint of that sweat comes from your feet? That might explain that smell in your tennis shoes!
As you sweat, your body is losing water. That's why it's important to drink plenty of water.
Your body needs a constant supply of water for many things, one of which is for sweat to regulate your body temperature. So don't forget to stay hydrated!