Why Am I Sweating on the Keto Diet? All About the Keto Sweats
When your body goes into ketosis it starts burning fat for energy so it’s common to experience so-called keto sweats. How to deal with it?
During your first few weeks of keto, you may find that you’re feeling sweatier than normal. Excessive sweating might feel embarrassing, but don’t worry. This is a totally normal experience for keto dieters, and it’s also completely manageable.
We looked into sweating on the keto diet, and we’ve come up with all of the answers you need about why you’re sweating more and how to deal with it.
Why Am I Sweating on the Keto Diet?
When you’re in the transition phase of starting your keto diet, you may find that you’re sweating much more than usual. This happens because your body is adjusting to burning fat for fuel rather than carbohydra
When you go into ketosis, your body starts to burn stored fat, which turns into ketone bodies that your body then uses for energy.
This is how your body triggers weight loss. When your body expels these ketones after they’ve been used to fuel, they expel through urine, breath, and sweat glands.
Ketosis body odor
There’s very little medical literature about excess body odor when it comes to the keto diet. However, many people who have gone on the keto diet have reported that their body produces a more pungent odor during the first few weeks.
This could be because of a number of things. Some people theorize that the excess protein you eat during the keto diet produces more ammonia, which is then excreted through sweating.
Ketones, especially acetone, are also well known for being smelly. In the first week or two, many people have what is described as “keto breath.” When you’re on the keto diet sweating, you’re definitely releasing more acetone, which can cause more body odor.
Keto night sweats
While keto night sweats aren’t a commonly reported side effect, there are plenty of stories from hard-core keto dieters that have described sweating more often during the nighttime. These night sweats are caused by any number of things, including your body staying in ketosis during the night.
Low blood sugar could also be the cause; as your body adjusts to a low-carb diet, your blood sugar drops. One of the symptoms of lowered blood sugar also happens to be sweating.
You might also be going into withdrawal. Sweating is one of the most common withdrawal symptoms, and if you’ve cut yourself off from processed foods, high carbs, and lots of sugar, then this might be the reason you’re sweating more at night. Sugar withdrawals are no joke!
Keto adaptation sweating
Starting a new diet means that your body is going to go through a whole host of changes. Keto sweating is caused by your body suddenly being deprived of its favorite source of energy. When you start burning fat in order to produce energy, you’re going to get a spike in body temperature.
Using ketones to produce energy is something that your body knows how to do and can do so easily in the short term. However, as you keep that ketosis going for longer, more people have reported increased sweating.
How to Deal With Sweating a Lot on Keto? 5 Proven Ways
Despite excessive sweating on the keto diet (and other low-carb diets) being totally normal, it can definitely be embarrassing or hard to deal with, even with the weight loss benefits. Here are some ways to deal with keto sweating.
#1 Increase your electrolyte intake
One of the quickest ways to deal with sweating on keto is to make sure you’re drinking enough electrolytes. You can even use an electrolyte supplement in your water. This also helps with other flu-like symptoms that happen when you get the keto flu.
#2 Avoid spicy foods
Delicious, spicy foods might be one of the things that trigger sweating on keto. In general, spicy foods tend to cause us to sweat more often. This could definitely be one way to cure excessive sweating. You should also avoid any foods that you notice cause you to sweat more often after eating.
#3 Less coffee
Your caffeine intake might be one of the causes of your sweating. Coffee is a great way to wake up in the morning, but it might be one of the culprits to your sweating throughout the day. Try to have less caffeine consumption in general, including soda – many sodas contain caffeine, and some have more caffeine than coffee.
#4 Wear loose clothes
Try alleviating your sweating on keto by wearing looser clothes. Tight clothes can raise your temperature and cause you to sweat more often. Loose-fitting and breathable clothes are a quick fix to feeling uncomfortable with sweat, and it helps keep your body cool.
#5 Try a keto supplement
A good keto supplement might help you transition easier into ketosis, which can alleviate sweating on a keto diet. Something like KetoCycle FUEL can work great since it’s specifically designed to ease the transition into keto, with all-natural ingredients (including MCT oils, collagen, and electrolytes) and no added sugars, gluten, or dairy. It encourages ketosis for weight loss and fat burning while improving your mood and energy.
A Word From Dietitian
Eating a strict keto diet is a great way to lose weight, manage your heart health, and get yourself on the right track for a healthy lifestyle. But it can also cause some really embarrassing side effects! People who are new to ketosis report increased sweating, especially during the nighttime.
But there are plenty of ways to deal with intense sweating. And don’t worry – it won’t last forever! As your body learns the new ketosis process, the excess sweat will start to decrease. While your body gets used to utilizing ketones, you might also find that you’re experiencing body odor as well.
Another great way to deal with sweating on keto and body odor is to up your showers. If you are able, taking a midday shower will reset your mind and body and wash away all the extra sweat on your skin. If the sweating persists, you might also want to invest in a good, strong antiperspirant.
Conclusion
Keto sweating is totally normal. While there’s not a lot of literature about excessive sweating on a keto diet, there are plenty of people currently on a ketogenic diet who talk about the way sweating has affected them.
The sweat-inducing ketones that burn through your body as you adjust to a low-carb diet are likely the culprit of your increased sweating. You might also be experiencing withdrawal symptoms from a high-carb diet or sugar.
The best way to deal with keto sweating is to keep your electrolytes up and your clothes loose and breathable. As you carry on your ketogenic diet journey, you’ll find that the sweating eventually goes back to normal.