rudym
Active Member
Before everyone jumps onto the science bandwagon, i am going to offer my reason for discussing SWEAT.
Thirteen years ago, i was struck by a car while riding my road bike to work. I was hit from the rear by a car doing 50+ mph and my speed at the time was <14 mph. It was a tragic morning, ambulance ride, cervical surgery etc... my body went from 174 lbs to 152 lbs in just 12 weeks as it gobbled up its own tissue to help the healing process. 18 months later i got back on my bicycle, I was resolute in my "get back on the horse" mindset. I was determined to go back to riding my bike to work - afterall it was only 8 miles.
It was joy and trepidation at the same time. My first rides were neighborhood rides and even in the slow suburbs I threw up the first time a car whizzed by me. Things got better slowly and i was feeling confident about trying my luck (yes i said luck) at commuting to work on a bicycle again. Family and friends, coworkers and clients all felt i was nuts and even irresponsible to risk my life again. I was not deterred and the commuting went well but i also found alternative corridors to steer clear of the mainstream traffic. As summer approached i began to notice a problem, I wasn't sweating! I had a condition know as Anhidrosis. When you live in the deep south with high temps and high humidity a lack of sweat can quite simply - kill you - ! To make matters worse, when i poured my waterbottle contents over my body, i found i wasn't moving fast enough to evaporate it quickly enough to provide a wicking/cooling effect so internal body temperature would begin to rise and a fast heart rate was the first warning... thank goodness for heart rate monitors.
Thus my entry to the Ebike world. I learned or reasoned that If i pedaled fast enough the water (artificial sweat i poured over my body) would evaporate better and cool my internals to some degree. It works. I still have to pay close attention to my heart rate monitor and limit my time in the saddle on the hot days but i can still enjoy the benefits of commuting to work on a bicycle. On longer weekend rides i keep an ice chest filled with ice in the truck and towels i can soak in the ice chest to throw over me after a ride and cool down quickly. I also fill my 3-4 water bottles with block ice water to help the internal cooling effect. Never hurts to have a cold beer in the ice chest too!
kristinmoonscience.com
hyperhidrosis: https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/007259.htm
Hypohidrosis: https://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/what-is-hypohidrosis
Anhidrosis: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/anhidrosis/symptoms-causes/syc-20369400
Thirteen years ago, i was struck by a car while riding my road bike to work. I was hit from the rear by a car doing 50+ mph and my speed at the time was <14 mph. It was a tragic morning, ambulance ride, cervical surgery etc... my body went from 174 lbs to 152 lbs in just 12 weeks as it gobbled up its own tissue to help the healing process. 18 months later i got back on my bicycle, I was resolute in my "get back on the horse" mindset. I was determined to go back to riding my bike to work - afterall it was only 8 miles.
It was joy and trepidation at the same time. My first rides were neighborhood rides and even in the slow suburbs I threw up the first time a car whizzed by me. Things got better slowly and i was feeling confident about trying my luck (yes i said luck) at commuting to work on a bicycle again. Family and friends, coworkers and clients all felt i was nuts and even irresponsible to risk my life again. I was not deterred and the commuting went well but i also found alternative corridors to steer clear of the mainstream traffic. As summer approached i began to notice a problem, I wasn't sweating! I had a condition know as Anhidrosis. When you live in the deep south with high temps and high humidity a lack of sweat can quite simply - kill you - ! To make matters worse, when i poured my waterbottle contents over my body, i found i wasn't moving fast enough to evaporate it quickly enough to provide a wicking/cooling effect so internal body temperature would begin to rise and a fast heart rate was the first warning... thank goodness for heart rate monitors.
Thus my entry to the Ebike world. I learned or reasoned that If i pedaled fast enough the water (artificial sweat i poured over my body) would evaporate better and cool my internals to some degree. It works. I still have to pay close attention to my heart rate monitor and limit my time in the saddle on the hot days but i can still enjoy the benefits of commuting to work on a bicycle. On longer weekend rides i keep an ice chest filled with ice in the truck and towels i can soak in the ice chest to throw over me after a ride and cool down quickly. I also fill my 3-4 water bottles with block ice water to help the internal cooling effect. Never hurts to have a cold beer in the ice chest too!
The Science of Sweat: A Lesson on Homeostasis
No one likes to sweat. It's gross. It's stinky. It can ruin your hair, makeup, and clothes. But the ability to sweat is a GOOD thing. Learn the science of what sweat is and how it is used by our body to maintain homeostasis.
kristinmoonscience.com
Hypohidrosis: https://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/what-is-hypohidrosis
Anhidrosis: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/anhidrosis/symptoms-causes/syc-20369400
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