Have you ever been playing outside on a hot day when you notice your face and hair are all wet? What happened? Don’t sweat it—it’s just sweat! While you are at play your body is working hard to keep you safe and comfortable.
Sweating is our body’s way of cooling us down. It helps us control our body temperature and keeps us from getting too hot. Our brain gets messages from our body that we are getting too hot. Then it sends a message telling us to sweat. And it does all of this without us even thinking about it.
When sweat evaporates, it cools us down.
Sweat is made mostly of water, but it also includes salt and small amounts of other chemicals. When sweat contacts the air, it evaporates [changes from liquid to gas]. This makes us feel cooler.
When you are active, it is important to drink lots of water. If you lose too much water without replacing it, you can get dehydrated.
Sweat has a very important job. So next time you feel those beads on your forehead, don’t sweat it. Trust in your body’s natural cooling system!
What Do You Think? Is sweat good or bad? Why?
Photo Credit: (t)travelview/Shutterstock, (b)Daniel Lozano Gonzalez/Moment/Getty Images
