If you were sweating at maximum capacity.....? what volume of sweat would you be producing?

Question

3-4 liters/day? how do u know?

Answer 1

I've never thoght abot this before. What an interesting qestion.

I assume that we are discussing normal people, but there are also diseases that cause hypofunction of sweat glands (i.e. Hyperhidrosis and Diaphoresis). I'll only discuss normal people, but if you're interested, I'll dig up more info these disorders.

'... a recent survey found that “the average Phoenix resident produced 26 ounces (0.77 liter) of sweat per hour during a typical summer day last year.” This Procter & Gamble Co. survey studied 100 cities to determine estimates of the amount of sweat a person of average weight and height would produce walking around for an hour in the average high temperatures of a particular city during June, July and August. Phoenix ended up #1 on the sweatiest cities list for 2006.' (http://www.rxrunning.com/article.htm)

Pheonix, with the sweatest folks in the states, sweat an average of .77 L per hour which wold equal 18.48 L per day!!!!

During marathons, folks can lose 'about 1 to 2.5 liters per hour, while someone with a high sweat rate can sweat upwards of 3.5 liters per hour.' (http://www.triathletemag.com/story.cfm?story_id=9626&pageID=1732)

So if this was one of those really bad races, like the 135 mile Badwater marathon that typically has heat of 115 degrees, I can imagine that a person could lose anywhere from 24 to 84 L per day! (see http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/othersports/233630_jurek22.html)

A more general report of water loss from the human body states that:
"The water in your body, the fluid that keeps you alive and well, leaves you at an alarming rate. An average person on a normal day loses between three and six liters of water. One to two liters rushes out as urine, and another one-tenth liter in defecation. (Note: Severe diarrhea can increase fluid lost in defecation to an astounding 25 liters in a 24-hour period.) Moisture lost from the act of breathing would fill from one to two liter water bottles a day, and that rate increases in dry air. And then there's sweat. Your perspiration totals one to two liters on an average day, but that amount can climb to one to two liters per hour during periods of vigorous exercise. Compared to watching TV all day, one hour of exercise may demand approximately a 50 percent increase in the amount of water your body uses." (http://www.nols.edu/wmi/articles/archive/hydration.shtml)

So it looks like during rest, one loses about 3-6 liters per day. I am sure that the amount of water lost per day also depends on environmental factors, genetics, stress, and other varibles so these numbers may not be 'pin-point' accurate, but I hope they help. Let me know if you want me to elaborate on anything.

Answer 2

3-4 liters/day