Yes I said it. I’m a very sweaty runner. On a normal day, when I’m just pottering around the house minding my own business, I don’t have an issue (thank goodness). Anytime I run, however…..

I’ve been dealing (or rather trying to deal) with this problem for years. The long and short of it – it’s a really big disadvantage.

Obviously its essential that we sweat. It helps to cool us down when our bodies get too hot. Thermoregulation, I believe is the term here.

Everyone is different. Some people sweat very little and some sweat a lot. And I’d like to say – and then there’s me…… the excessively heavy sweater.

I remember doing an Ultra with a friend once. She drank here and there and needed to stop for a pee now and again. I drank twice as much and didn’t pee at all. Enough said.

There is a test you can do. You have a specific amount to drink, weigh yourself, go and run for a certain length of time and then weigh yourself again afterwards. You then do various easy maths following a formula and check your water loss against a table.

I did this lovely experiment about 9 years ago and found that my levels of water loss were at the very top of the table. The box next to it said how much I should drink an hour to replace it and it was less than I was losing (as there is a maximum amount of water you should drink an hour). Oh right.

Once you’ve established your water loss when exercising, you can also get tests done to check how much salt you lose. Some people lose a lot of salt and others lose a lot of water but little salt. I’ve never had this test done but I have my suspicions as to which one I am. After a run I have white crystals on my face and my lips taste of salt. I’ve read this as signs that I’m on the higher end of salt loss.

Causes:

• How hard you are running/working (and I assume your heart rate)
• Genetics (some people are just sweatier)
• Being fit (this one is ironic). So the fitter you get the better your sweat function works. However, there is working well and working overtime.
• The environment. Obviously running on a hot day versus a cold day will have a different impact on how much you sweat.

There are a number of important impacts of sweat loss but a huge one for me is the salt loss mentioned above. I need to ensure I replace not only water but enough electrolytes. It is of course important for all runners to get this balance right. Not getting this right can have a significant affect on your body. For me getting it wrong leads to a dodgy stomach. This can lead to nausea (unpleasant), stomach cramps (which slow you down) or worst of all looking for dense tree cover in the absence of a portaloo.

I’ve often thought about doing a proper test, as at the moment I am really guessing. However, its expensive and other schools of thought are that you should go by what your body is telling you.

When I ran JOGLE (John o Groats to Lands End) I had a bad stomach on average every other day. With hindsight this was probably down to not getting enough electrolytes as I remember feeling a lot better on the days I got to eat chips or salty pasta.

There are other huge disadvantages to being a heavy sweater outside the water/electrolyte balance (note if you get this very wrong it can be dangerous (in particular too much water intake with too little salt – I wont get into that here)).

The main other downside is chafing. Before I go out on a run, I have to cover various parts of my body in Vaseline or body glide. For me this is generally my back. If you’ve never experienced chafing let me tell you it is not pleasant. It can happen that you don’t know it’s there until you get in the shower or bath and emit a cry “aggggh”. It’s generally at this point that you feel the burn. In fact that’s exactly how it feels. Like a burn.

The other main way to limit sweating and therefore, chafing, is to wear the right running clothes in a good sweat wicking fabric. For me, a t-shirt with loose arms or no arms for example is helpful. In terms of material, merino wool is excellent. It’s got a high sweat wicking ability and is also anti-bacterial. It’s not cheap (of course). I believe that bamboo is also great. I’ve had bamboo socks. I’ve yet to try bamboo clothes. That’s next on my list of things to try.

Contrast this with my husband who doesn’t really sweat much when he runs. We return from a run and I drop this soggy thing on the floor with a ‘splat’ sound (my top – ready to go in the wash). He could probably air his and wear it again, He doesn’t need to think about the material or body glide or worry about water/salt. He simply doesn’t have any of these problems and has never experienced chafing. Sigh. I’d love to be him for a month (lol).

I’d also like to know, (if there are any scientists out there), why it is that my excessive sweating doesn’t in fact cool me down? On a hot day I feel the heat so much more than my husband. Surely the proficient water loss should vaporise off my skin and cool me down, whilst running? I do, however, get cold once I stop. The sweat settles and makes me uncomfortably cool. If I go out with my husband and we decide to stop for a snack/coffee mid fast hike or long run, then I’ll need to put on a top layer once sitting down. Generally he feels fine. It seems to me that this sweating nonsense offers only disadvantages? Anyone. Thoughts?

So you can see that when I go running, particularly a long distance run or event – there is a lot to think about.

For me doing the Race Across Scotland (which is a continuous Ultra that will likely take 4 days); I will need to plan for the ‘sweat’ impact.

Given that the Ultra is in August, I really need to plan well. How can I limit the discomfort and the chance of DNF’g (Do not finish ‘ing) due to potential gastric problems or dehydration. For now my thoughts are:

• Have multiple changes of clothes in drop bags and with my support team (Chris)
• Apply Vaseline liberally and often
• Maybe walk midday and run when it’s cooler in the morning, evening and at night?
• Listen to what my body wants in terms of water and salt. Go by feel. Make sure I get enough and not too much (don’t think the latter is possible for me mind you)
• Avoid caffeine (I really don’t think I can do that one!)

Finally if none of that works, I could run in a sports bra and shorts. I doubt anyone would want to see that. I wouldn’t. It would help to pass air around my body though and help save me from the back chafing. Then again, I have to wear a rucksack for the Ultra….ok so scrap that idea. Back to the drawing board….