What is Sweat?

Your body’s normal temperature is 98.6 degrees F or 37 degrees C. When you exercise, feel stressed, or even eat spicy food your body temperature climbs and needs to cool off. It does this by sweating.

The hypothalamus is the part of brain that regulates your body temperature. When your temperature gets too high, the hypothalamus uses your central nervous system to tell your body it needs to cool off. Sweat glands then produce sweat releasing it through pores. When the sweat is exposed to air, it evaporates and cools your body so you don’t overheat.

If your body didn’t sweat, it could be very dangerous. Hyperthermia occurs when the body cannot cool off fast enough. This can lead to disability or death if not treated.

Sweat is mostly made up of water, about 99%. The other 1% is salt, ammonia, sugar, and urea. If you sweat a lot, you may be losing a lot of water. It is important to stay hydrated and replace what you have lost.

Why does sweat stink?

Sweat by itself does not stink. The odor is caused by the bacteria that live on your skin. The bacteria eats the ammonia, salts, and urea in the sweat. They then excrete microbe manure which causes the odor.

Why does my sports equipment stink?

When you exercise or play a sport, the bacteria clings to your gear. It’s a happy feeding ground. After you work out, or after the game, you put all that stinky equipment in a bag and take it home. Your bag is a dark moist place that is perfect for bacteria to thrive. They will continue to feed and excrete making your gear stink.

What can I do?

An easy way to keep your equipment from stinking is to use a sports equipment deodorizer after each workout.  Stink Out spray is made of a proprietary formula that prevents the growth of bacteria and leaves your gear fresh.