I was wondering why I don't sweat like others..........

I have really never been a big sweater....and yesterday as I ran I saw my neighbor and we were going the same pace and same distance but he was drenched.  I was thinking hey, am I not pushing hard enough, can I go a little harder?  I did for about 2 miles and still no change. Odd!!!  I ran 7 miles and was barely wet but when I stop, BAM there comes the sweat, so weird!!!!  I worked out this morning, 17 minutes of hard cardio and an Ab routine and I was sweating a lot for me, back, chest, and face were "wet"!  I have been wanting to look into this for a while but keep forgetting, so today I found an article from Jillian Michaels' Blog, pretty interesting and I feel much better about my lack of sweat!!!

About Sweat

Your body is constantly producing heat. The heat radiates out through the skin most of the time. However, when your body is working hard, contracting muscles as you exercise, some of the heat is absorbed by the water in your blood, which then rises to the surface of the skin through sweat glands. It then evaporates and creates a cooling effect.

Everybody's Different

Everyone doesn’t sweat the same. Women tend to sweat less than men and usually require higher temperatures than what would cause men to sweat. Women also sweat less as they grow older because their sweat glands shrink and are less sensitive, according to the "Daily Mail Online." Fitness level and environmental factors can also contribute to the amount you sweat.

Myths

Perspiration is not an indicator of a losing weight. “You don’t have to sweat to get a good workout, and exercising in higher temperatures and humidity can be dangerous,” Gerald Endress, an exercise physiologist and fitness director at the Duke University Diet and Fitness Center told MSNBC. Many people wear lots of layers hoping to sweat off the pounds, but that doesn’t mean they are losing fat any faster. It means they are sweating more and, the more you sweat, the more water you need to take in to stay hydrated. Keeping clothes on because you think it’s better to sweat makes you uncomfortable and puts you at risk of dangerously overheating.

Anhidrosis

Anhidrosis, also called hypohidrosis, is an absence of sweating. Those who wish they could avoid the gross factor linked to sweating might consider anhidrosis a plus, but not being able to perspire could be uncomfortable and potentially life-threatening. Sweat acts as your body’s coolant and, without it, the body can suffer from heat-related illnesses like heat exhaustion and heatstroke. Anhidrosis can be caused by certain drugs or medications, nerve damage, clogged sweat ducts, skin injuries or may be an inherited condition. If you feel you might be suffering from anhidrosis, speak with your doctor.


Via: Jillian Michaels Blog, Edited by Maria Craddock

10 Reasons Women Should Lift Weights

Many women believe that the only way to lose weight is to do cardiovascular (aerobic exercise). So they jog or take aerobics classes five times a week. Eventually, though, they notice that while their bodies are a little smaller, there are still a lot of flabby and jiggly bits. Sound familiar? Aerobic exercise is important for good health, but it’s only half of the equation. Keep reading for the other half.
For optimal fitness, longevity, and a lean body, weight training is essential. If you avoid pumping iron because you’re afraid of getting “bulky,” then you’re missing out on one of the best fat-burning methods around.
When you’re weight training, you shouldn’t rely exclusively on the scale to gauge your progress. You can use a body fat tester or a tape measure to track how many inches you’re losing. The size of your body will shrink as you shed fat and build muscle, but your weight may not change as dramatically as you expect. Besides, what’s more important, the number on the scale or how you look in your skinny jeans?
If you’re still not convinced that you need to lift weights, here are 10 reasons you should reconsider.

1. Burn more fat. Researchers at Tufts University found that when overweight women lifted heavy weights twice a week, they lost an average of 14.6 pounds of fat and gained 1.4 pounds of muscle. The control group, women who dieted but didn’t lift weights, lost only 9.2 pounds of fat and gained no muscle. When you do an intense weight-training program your metabolism stays elevated and you continue to burn fat for several hours afterward. During regular cardio exercise, you stop burning fat shortly after the workout.

2. Change your body shape. You may think your genes determine how you look. That’s not necessarily true. Weight training can slim you down, create new curves, and help avoid the “middle-age spread.” Dropping only 3 percent of your body fat could translate into a total loss of 3 inches off your hips and thighs. And no, you won’t bulk up—women don’t have enough muscle-building hormones to gain a lot of mass like men do. If you keep your diet clean and create a calorie deficit, you’ll burn fat.

3. Boost your metabolism. The less muscle you have, the slower your metabolism will be. As women age, they lose muscle at increasing rates, especially after the age of 40. When you diet without doing resistance training, up to 25 percent of the weight loss may be muscle loss. Weight training while dieting can help you preserve and even rebuild muscle fibers. The more lean mass you have, the higher your metabolism will be and the more calories you’ll burn all day long.

4. Get stronger and more confident. Lifting weights increases functional fitness, which makes everyday tasks such as carrying children, lifting grocery bags, and picking up heavy suitcases much easier. According to the Mayo Clinic, regular weight training can make you 50 percent stronger in 6 months. Being strong is also empowering. Not only does it improve your physical activities, it builds emotional strength by boosting self-esteem and confidence.

5. Build strong bones. It’s been well documented that women need to do weight-bearing exercise to build and maintain bone mass, and to prevent osteoporosis. Just as muscles get stronger and bigger with use, so do bones when they’re made to bear weight. Stronger bones and increased muscle mass also lead to better flexibility and balance, which is especially important for women as they age.

6. Fight depression. You’ve probably heard that cardio and low-impact exercises such as yoga help alleviate depression, and weight lifting has the same effect. The endorphins that are released during aerobic activities are also present during resistance training. Many women find that regular strength training, in conjunction with psychological treatment, helps lessen their depression symptoms substantially.

7. Improve sports fitness. You don’t have to be an athlete to get the sports benefit of weight training. Improved muscle mass and strength will help you in all physical activities, whether it’s bicycling with the family, swimming, golfing, or skiing…whatever sport you enjoy.

8. Reduce injuries and arthritis. Weight lifting improves joint stability and builds stronger ligaments and tendons. Training safely and with proper form can help decrease the likelihood of injuries in your daily life. It can also improve physical function in people with arthritis. A study conducted at the University of Wales in Bangor, United Kingdom, found that mildly disabled participants who lifted weights for 12 weeks increased the frequency and intensity at which they could work, with less pain and increased range of movement.

9. Get heart healthy. More than 480,000 women die from cardiovascular disease each year, making it the number-one killer of women over the age of 25. Most people don’t realize that pumping iron can also keep your heart pumping. Lifting weights increases your “good” (HDL) cholesterol and decreases your “bad” (LDL) cholesterol. It also lowers your blood pressure. The Journal of the American Medical Association reports that people who do 30 minutes of weight lifting each week have a 23 percent reduced risk of developing heart disease compared to those who don’t lift weights.

10. Defend against diabetes. In addition to keeping your ticker strong, weight training can improve glucose utilization (the way your body processes sugar) by as much as 23 percent. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 16 weeks of strength training can improve glucose metabolism in a way that is comparable to taking diabetes medication. The more lean mass you have, the more efficient your body is at removing glucose from the blood, which can reduce complications from diabetes or even help prevent type 2 diabetes in the first place.


Via: Team Beachbody

The Effect of Dietary Protein on Your Muscles

It’s fairly common knowledge these days that protein is “good” for one’s muscles. However, most folks don’t really understand what it is that dietary protein actually does to support muscle fiber in the body.

Breakdown and Repair
To begin with, let’s get clear about what muscles we’re talking about here. There are three distinct types of muscle fiber in the human body. The digestive tract and other internal organs are primarily smooth muscle. The heart is cardiac muscle. The muscles that help move bones and power the body’s outward movement are skeletal muscle. Skeletal muscle is what most people refer to when they talk about dietary protein’s effect on muscle growth. Smooth and cardiac muscle is constituted through a different cellular process.
Skeletal muscle is almost entirely protein. Think about it. Animal protein (you know, meat) is simply various cuts of animal skeletal muscle. The synthesis of muscle protein is essential to the body’s ongoing growth, repair, and maintenance of the skeletal muscle groups.  Skeletal muscle is constantly broken down through the many physical activities that the body endures. All things being equal, the longer and/or higher the intensity of the activity, the more skeletal muscle breakdown there will be. This breakdown process is known as catabolism. The body’s process of repairing the damage done and building muscle is known as anabolism. This is where dietary protein becomes essential.
The anabolic process starts when dietary proteins are consumed. During the digestive process, the body secretes various enzymes throughout the digestive tract and these break those proteins down into their individual amino acids. When these reach the small intestine, the amino acids are absorbed and then circulated throughout the body. The skeletal muscles use these amino acids as building blocks to create the proteins of new muscle tissue. So in essence, dietary protein fuels the anabolic process.

How to Get the Most out of Dietary Protein
Eat the Right Amount
The RDA for dietary protein is 0.8 g per kilogram of weight in sedentary adults. This equates to about 56 grams per day for an average male and 46 grams per day for an average female. Keep in mind, however, that this is the amount necessary to support repair of the catabolic effects from a sedentary lifestyle. Once activity, exercise and/or hard training is added into the mix, the body’s protein needs go up. Dr. Peter Lemon from the University of Western Ontario found that the RDA for those engaged in strength training is about double that of a sedentary individual, which is roughly 1.7 – 1.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body mass per day.
The other important consideration is how much protein to consume per meal. Most researchers agree that 20 grams of protein is the most effective amount to consume per serving. The body can only assimilate so much dietary protein at once. Beyond that, excess dietary protein can be converted to fat and stored that way—but it can’t revert back to protein again. The liver converts excess amino acids to other usable molecules but the process creates ammonia, which is transformed into urea by the liver. The body flushes urea from the system through urination, which is why consuming excess protein can have a dehydrating effect.   Of course, if you ingest too little dietary protein, the anabolic process will suffer.

Choose the Right Protein
There are 21 amino acids the body uses for anabolism and every type of dietary protein is comprised of various amounts of these. The body requires a certain amount of each and while it can create some of these on its own, others have to be ingested. These are known as the essential amino acids and a complete protein contains all of nine essential amino acids. Studies have shown that the most effective anabolic process is possible only if high quality complete proteins are ingested on a regular basis. Complete proteins include: all animal proteins, including eggs and dairy, and certain whole grains such as quinoa.

Timing and Consistency
As all proteins are comprised of different combinations of amino acids, they are digested at different rates. One study found that most bodies can digest 8-10 grams of whey protein per hour, but can only absorb about half as much casein per hour.   Because whey is absorbed so quickly it is a great option for post-workout recovery (when the muscles can accept the most protein for anabolic repair). However, during other times of the day, a protein with a slower absorption rate is a better option. For example, one study found that casein was the superior protein to consume before sleeping to promote maximum overnight recovery.
So yes, protein is quite good for your muscles. In fact, it’s essential. However for maximum effectiveness and fueling the anabolic process, you should consume high-quality dietary protein regularly and in proper amounts.

Via: Team Beachbody