1. Your Glucose Levels. People with diabetes can often experience sweating, particularly in response to low glucose (blood sugar) levels. Because glucose drops at night, diabetics may also have night sweats during their sleep. It's important to remember, though, that sweating at night doesn't necessarily indicate diabetes, or even dropping blood sugar levels, as every body is different.
2. Whether You're Low On Sodium. People who experience high levels of salty sweat may not have enough sodium in their diet, according to Women's Health. Sodium is a necessary electrolyte, or a nutrient that assists in energy and recovery, and not having enough of it means our hydration levels may be thrown out of whack.
3. Whether You Have Hyperhidrosis. If you sweat a lot, it's technically a condition called hyperhidrosis. Primary hyperhidrosis has no underlying cause, but secondary hyperhidrosis occurs because your body is reacting to medications, illnesses or disorders through sweat. If you notice excessive sweating, especially all of a sudden, don't assume it's just a quirk of your body; it could be crucial info to take to your doctor.
4. How Much Fluid You're Losing. As you probably know, your body sweats in order to cool itself down, and in so doing loses moisture. If you're sweating too much, though, there's a good chance you'll end up dehydrated. People designing sweat sensors think that measuring levels of sodium or potassium in your sweat can help pinpoint if you're close to dehydration. For the moment, though, making sure you're drinking lots of water if you're sweating a lot is a key way to stave off dehydration.
5. How Well You're Exercizing. In the future, it'll likely be common for elite athletes to use sweat sensors to determine how their bodies are performing while they're exercising. Why? Because sweat can tell us a lot about our endurance and performance during athletic feats. Sensors have been invented that detect lactate, a chemical exuded in sweat during strenuous exercise that has a close relationship with muscle fatigue. The sensors can also check potassium, sodium and glucose levels in sweat, to measure dehydration and energy reserves. That sweat that drenches you during spin class has a lot of information about your exercise regime and how hard you're working.
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