“Women Merely Glow”: Do Men Really Sweat More Than Women?

After a vigorous Pilates session or tennis match, you notice that the men around you seem to be sweating much more than the women. The age-old saying proclaims, “Horses sweat, men perspire, and women merely glow.” Do men really sweat more than women? Is there some scientific backing to the old saying? If so, what contributes to the difference?

The Science Behind Sweating

Sweating is the body’s way of cooling down when our core temperature rises, whether from external heat or exercise. Sweat evaporates from our skin, which dissipates heat and regulates our body temperature. Various factors influence the sweat production of individuals, such as age, weight, fitness level, genetic predisposition, and gender.

Two Types of Sweat Glands

The human body has two main types of sweat glands: eccrine and apocrine glands. Eccrine sweat glands are all over the body, with higher sweat concentrations on the forehead and palms of the hands. These glands produce a clear, odorless sweat composed primarily of water and salt. Increased body temperature is the primary activator, signaling for eccrine glands to produce sweat.

Apocrine sweat glands are in areas of the body with hair, such as the scalp, armpits, and groin. These glands produce a thicker, milky sweat containing proteins and lipids, which they release into the hair follicles instead of directly onto the skin’s surface. Stress, hormones, and sexual arousal are the usual triggers for apocrine sweat glands to start producing sweat.

Although apocrine sweat is initially odorless, it can develop a distinct smell when broken down by bacteria on the skin.

How Gender Affects Sweating

According to a still often cited 2010 study, men tend to sweat more on average than women, especially during exercise. Sweat gland output increased with physical training and exercise intensity, but it went up more in men than in women. This is, in part, due to men’s larger body and muscle mass, which generates more heat and requires more cooling.

Women Have Higher Sweat Gland Density

Interestingly, women tend to have more sweat glands than men, but they produce less sweat from each gland. Dr. Nina Stachenfeld from the Yale School of Medicine conducts research on the role of hormones in regulating body fluids and found that progesterone plays a primary role. Hormonal differences and sweat production per gland account for some of the differences in how men and women sweat.

So men do tend to sweat more than women on average. Fitness plays a role in sweat production, and as women build muscle strength and cardiovascular endurance, the gender differences in sweating become less pronounced. Women who build fitness through Pilates, soccer, or other athletic pursuits are working their way up from “glowing” to “perspiring.” But due to their gender, it’s unlikely that they’ll ever “sweat like a horse!”