Sweat and working out

[isasir]

Say I do the exact same cardio workout (30 min. on elliptical). In the afternoon, doing this workout results in minimal sweat and is easy to do. However, in the morning, this same workout proves to be more difficult and also results in a greater amount of sweat. Is one workout more effective than the other?

 

[RagingBITCH]

Not necessarily. Your body temperature in the mornings is a lot lower than it is in the afternoon. Sweating more in the mornings just means there's a larger dramatic increase in your body temperature, which in turn leads to you sweating more. (Getting rid of excess heat) Also factor in that your heartrate in the mornings is a lower after having slept all night.

 

[Kipper]

When you're working out HBPM is really what matters, and that usually correlates with the frequency of your breaths. Sweat is a good indicator but should be taken at face value.

 

[isasir]

Thanks for the info. Is sweating an indicator of anything really then? Say me and a buddy do the exact same exercise at the same time, but I sweat and he doesn't, would body temperature still be the reason? Can a conclusion about one of us being in better shape be made?

Granted, my body usually feels cleaner after sweating (clearing pores), but I didn't know if there's any other benefit or indication of anything.

 

[Aharami]

i heard doing cardio first thing in the morning is the best

 

[RagingBITCH]

Originally posted by: isasir
Thanks for the info. Is sweating an indicator of anything really then? Say me and a buddy do the exact same exercise at the same time, but I sweat and he doesn't, would body temperature still be the reason? Can a conclusion about one of us being in better shape be made?

Granted, my body usually feels cleaner after sweating (clearing pores), but I didn't know if there's any other benefit or indication of anything.

Not really - some people naturally sweat more than others. I tend to sweat a lot more than a lot of people I know, despite the fact that I'm in the gym 5 days a week (4 days cardio, 3 days weights, overlaps each other). It also depends on the person's normal heartrate, etc etc.

In regards to doing cardio in the morning - fasted state cardio is "better" in the respect that your glycogen stores are empty so your body uses fat as an energy source. Your blood sugar levels are low though, so you're much more susceptible to fainting.

 

[masterxfob]

i read somewhere (time magazine?) that the first 20 minutes of any workout burns up your immediate energy supply (carbs) and that after that you go into your stored energy (fat).

 

[RagingBITCH]

Originally posted by: masterxfob
i read somewhere (time magazine?) that the first 20 minutes of any workout burns up your immediate energy supply (carbs) and that after that you go into your stored energy (fat).

That depends if it's anaerobic or aerobic activity - you should never do anaerobic activity on an empty stomach or without having first "fueled" up so to speak - at the point where your glycogen stores are empty, your body goes into a catabolic state and uses muscle as fuel. Aerobic activity uses fat (majority) when your empty on fuel.