London (PTI): Perspiration does more than just keeping the body cool — it cuts the risk of exercise-related asthma, a new study has revealed.
An international team has carried out the study and found that people who sweat less when exercising are actually more likely to develop breathing problems — the reason could be there is too little fluid in their airways.
"It now appears that how much fluid your airways secrete could be a key determinant in protecting you from exercise-induced asthma. So, if athletes sweat, drool, or cry, at least they won’t gasp," the British media quoted lead researcher Dr Warren Lockette as saying.
In fact, in their study, the researchers led by the University of Michigan looked at 56 volunteers suspected of having the condition before coming to the conclusion that sweating makes people less prone to asthma.
The team measured the subjects’ responses to a drug called pilocarpine, which induces sweat and saliva production, and another which constricts the airways in people with exercise-induced asthma.
Those who had the greatest response to the airway drug tended to have the lowest response to the sweating drug and vice versa.
Even without the help of the drug the researchers found a correlation in their subjects between the amount they actually sweated and the amount of saliva as well as tear secretion.