Do women sweat more than men?

In general, women do not sweat more than men. In fact, men generally sweat more than women, both in quantity and frequency. Several factors such as gender, body size, hormonal differences, and physical condition play a role in this.

On average, men have a larger body size and more muscle mass than women. This means that they produce more heat during physical activity, which leads to more sweating to cool down. Although men and women have approximately the same number of sweat glands, men’s tend to produce more sweat. This is because men are often more active during physical activity and therefore need to cool down more.

Hormonal fluctuations, such as during menstruation, pregnancy, or menopause, can affect sweating in women. Although this can lead to temporary increased sweating, women still sweat less than men in general.

Under the same conditions (such as during exercise), men start to sweat earlier than women. Women have a more efficient cooling mechanism, sweating less quickly and less heavily, but still effectively regulating their body temperature.

Although there are variations based on context and individual differences, men generally sweat more than women due to their larger muscle mass, higher heat production, and higher sweat output per gland.

Source: https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/ajpregu.00328.2021

Author: Prof. Dr. Dirk Devroey - Latest update: 2024-08-26 - Copyright: Clinifacts 2024