Sweat and Detox: Is There a Connection?

The answer is yes, there is a connection. Don’t let anyone tell you that there is NO detox through sweating. The real debate is over how much detoxification occurs through sweating.As cited by Elizabeth Renter at naturalsociety.com, one study “published in 2011 in the Archives of Environmental and Contamination Toxicology explained there is more than one way for the body to rid itself of harmful toxins:‘Toxic elements were found to differing degrees in each of blood, urine, and sweat. Serum levels for most metals and metalloids were comparable with those found in other studies in the scientific literature. Many toxic elements appeared to be preferentially excreted through sweat. Presumably stored in tissues, some toxic elements readily identified in the perspiration of some participants were not found in their serum. Induced sweating appears to be a potential method for elimination of many toxic elements from the human body.’Renter goes on to report that, “In 2012, researchers with the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute provided a meta-analysis on 24 studies and found that arsenic, lead, mercury, and cadmium weren’t only present in sweat but often present in greater concentrations than within urine or blood (where such toxins are usually measured). They determined, quite simply, that “sweating deserves consideration for toxic element detoxification.”Evidence clearly indicates that detoxification occurs through sweating! Of course, sweating is the body’s cooling system and one could argue that cooling is the primary function of sweating. We do not dispute that. What we do disagree with is the false claim that sweating provides no detoxification. There are some fitness pundits who actually believe that. Common sense should say otherwise…have you experienced a funky smell every once in a while at the gym or perhaps that of a post-workout t-shirt!?Renter adds in her post that, “Bisphenol-A (BPA) is a hormone-disrupting plastic additive that is used in many food packages and found in most Americans. But, researchers found that it is also detected in sweat, and it’s even detected in the sweat of some people with no BPA detected in their blood or urine.”http://naturalsociety.com/sweating-detoxing-body-heavy-metals-more/Need more evidence that sweating promotes detoxification?…Dr. Julian Whitaker, founder of Whitaker Wellness Institute, states that, “These days I’m still a sauna buff, but now I know that dry heat and infrared saunas confer a number of health benefits, from removing toxins to treating congestive heart failure and other cardiovascular conditions.”As Dr. Whitaker goes on to describe the details of sweat, he explains that, “The primary benefits of a sauna is that it induces sweating. Although most of us go to great lengths to avoid sweating, perspiration has two essential functions: It cools you down, and it rids the body of waste products.” He goes on to say, “Sweating mobilizes toxins stored in the fat and enhances their elimination. If you’ve ever been around a heavy smoker or drinker, you know they reek of nicotine or alcohol—it literally pours out of their skin in their sweat. The same is true, although less obvious, of other toxins.”The most profound research that I have read comes from a study of 9/11 first responders to the NYC terrorists attack. Take a look at this excerpt from Whitaker’s article:"From September 2002 through September 2005, more than 500 of these rescue workers, the majority of them firefighters between the ages of 35 and 45, completed this sauna detox program, and the results were astounding.Before Treatment (which averaged 33 days)They missed a median of 2.1 days of work per month,Had 4.4 days of limited activity,Symptom severity scores—which rated 10 systems, including skin, respiratory, emotional, cognitive and musculoskeletal—were high,And half of the participants were taking drugs to manage their symptoms.After TreatmentThe number of days of missed work or limited activity fell to 0.2,Symptom scores dropped dramatically,And 84 percent of participants had discontinued all their drugs because their symptoms had cleared up.They also had significant improvements in thyroid function, balance, reaction time and even IQ!"http://www.drwhitaker.com/health-benefits-of-a-sauna/Without a doubt, exercise and sauna usage to produce sweating helps to get rid of some of the toxins that we breath, eat, touch and even think into our bodies through stress.Again, there is NO debate about whether or not toxins are released through sweat, the debate is over how much is released.Since this is a hotworx.net blog post, I’ll take the liberty to add that there is NO argument whatsoever from thousands of our customers with respect to workout results and how good they feel after a HOTWORX session too. HOTWORX is a new fitness technology and a new style of workout that involves the use of a specially designed infrared sauna and isometric exercise. Perhaps one could say that HOTWORX is a disruptive fitness technology in a similar way that Uber has been to the Taxi cab industry.HOTWORX is not a household name like Uber…yet, and, not all, but some of the fitness “establishments” may look on new technology with skepticism. My recommendation is that everyone should TRY IT as they are sure to be amazed at the session and the results for their clients! Add hot exercise to your training mix.