Sep 17, 2026 · 17 min · 10 segments
Your sweat rate isn't one number—it's a pattern. The amount you sweat can change dramatically depending on your sport, intensity, temperature, humidity, environment, and individual physiology. So…
Chris NewportHost
So one of the questions I get all the time is, why should I do a sweat test when I already know my sweat rate? Well, your sweat rate isn't a number.

So what actually creates this pattern? And I have this conversation so many times over and over again with athletes.

Just like I was telling you, you are more likely to have a higher sweat rate running than you are for biking, for example, or swimming, for example.

The harder you go, the higher your core temperature and the higher your sweat rate.

So an easy run for the same amount of time will be a lower sweat rate than a fast, hard run.

And of If you go out for a run when it's 30 degrees Fahrenheit versus 80 degrees Fahrenheit, obviously your sweat rate is going to be different, which relates to the humidity, which in turn is the dew point.

So in other words, the lower the dew point, the lower the sweat rate, the higher the dew point, the higher the sweat rate.

The lower the intensity, the lower the sweat rate, the higher the intensity, the higher the sweat rate.

So for example, I had an athlete who his sweat rate was much higher than inside on his indoor bike trainer versus cycling outside.

He added a fan, so increased the convection in his indoor trainer and his sweat rate went down.

So one of the questions I get all the time is, why should I do a sweat test when I already know my sweat rate? Well, your sweat rate isn't a number.

So what actually creates this pattern? And I have this conversation so many times over and over again with athletes.

Just like I was telling you, you are more likely to have a higher sweat rate running than you are for biking, for example, or swimming, for example.

The harder you go, the higher your core temperature and the higher your sweat rate.

So an easy run for the same amount of time will be a lower sweat rate than a fast, hard run.

And of If you go out for a run when it's 30 degrees Fahrenheit versus 80 degrees Fahrenheit, obviously your sweat rate is going to be different, which relates to the humidity, which in turn is the dew point.

So in other words, the lower the dew point, the lower the sweat rate, the higher the dew point, the higher the sweat rate.

The lower the intensity, the lower the sweat rate, the higher the intensity, the higher the sweat rate.

So for example, I had an athlete who his sweat rate was much higher than inside on his indoor bike trainer versus cycling outside.

He added a fan, so increased the convection in his indoor trainer and his sweat rate went down.
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