Our body has a natural air-conditioned called sweat. When the body temperature rises, the nervous system informs the sweat glands that it's time to produce sweat. This is released on the surface of the skin, evaporates and cools us down.
The composition of sweat
The sweat produced during vigorous physical activity has a different chemical composition from that produced when our body is under stress. Sweat due to intense physical activity or temperature comes from the secretory glands and contains mainly water.
Stress sweat is produced due to an increase in adrenaline that activates the responsive glands in the armpits. The sweat of the apocrine glands releases a milky substance containing fats and proteins, which feed bacteria.
What information do we get from sweat?;
The chemical composition of sweat can provide a lot of important information about our health status. It can tell us about the levels of sugar in the blood, the adequate or not hydration, any more serious conditions, such as cystic fibrosis, but also to explain our state of well-being.
The element that gives us this information is the metabolites, the small molecules that our body produces during metabolism. Through the metabolites, experts measure the levels of lactic acid, which are indicators not only of our well-being but also of our health. High levels of lactic acid could indicate a heart failure or even liver disease.
A new device detects sweat
The good news is that this information can now be collected very easily, thanks to an innovative detection device developed at Simon Fraser University Canada. It is a low-cost sweat sensor, which is superior to older similar devices because it can be built through 3D printing.
Ο Woo Soo Kim, a member of the research team that built this sensor, notes that in recent years the technology in these devices has made leaps and bounds. Now, there are sensors that can be easily worn during the day and can even give you information about your blood sugar levels.
The data collected through sweat sensors can help us assess factors such as stress, hydration and diet, which play a catalytic role in our well-being.
The new device, which is still experimental and not yet available on the market, will be easy to use. It will collect information in a non-invasive way, without further encroaching on privacy barriers.
It is designed to have built-in, mechanically flexible sensors connected via wireless communication to an electronic device (mobile phone or watch). The sensors are made of flexible materials, such as rubber, fabric or soft plastic, so they stick to the skin.
How can it be used?;
It is important to clarify that such a sensor cannot give reliable and accurate information about the overall state of health. Its use is aimed at a indicative outline of well-being indicators. Further research is needed to compare the data it collects with what blood tests give us.
But that is not the purpose. In the first instance it will be used by people who play sport, to get information about how the exercise affects their body. It is, we would say, a new ally in the field of exercise.
