By Briana Hayes
Staff Writer

If you went to the John Hancock Marathon Expo for the Boston Marathon, you may have noticed that you were surrounded by some of the most innovative and effective health and sport related products.

You may have also noticed a fitness model jump roping on a heat-activated mat hat that displayed the heat resulting from her exercising. This table was for the product Sweet Sweat.

Sweet Sweat claims to be one of the most researched and scientifically tested exercise products in the industry of health and exercise. It is based on the idea that sweating is good for you and the more you sweat the more effective your workout will be.

Sweating occurs because it is a way for your body to cool down. This occurs because heat comes off your body from physical activity and when your nerves are stimulated. When sweat is excreted from your eccrine glands, the liquid is evaporated from your skin. This evaporation cools you down.   

There are many benefits to sweating. One important benefit is that as your skin is cooled down your body is also cooled down. When your body is cooled, your heart starts to work harder to increase blood circulation. By pushing your heart you are increasing the efficiency of your cardiovascular system. This is turn will increase your VO2 Max or your ability to use oxygen efficiently.

In addition, sweating also allows your body to get rid of toxic materials from the environment. Sweating helps to detoxify the body by removing most of the unwanted impurities such as sodium and cholesterol, that’s built up from a sedentary lifestyle.

So your body already naturally sweats, so why use Sweet Sweat. Some areas do not perspire as much as other parts of the body no matter how intense the exercise. These are usually the upper thighs and hips for women and around the stomach for men. These areas are generally known as “problem areas.”

Problem areas for men in particlar are dangerous due to the location of where they accumulate fat.

Men generally have more “belly fat.” This is more dangerous because the more fat you have in your stomach region the more fat you have closer to your vital organs.

This kind of fat is associated with cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks.

Sweet Sweat is used to assist trim down those problem areas. Problem areas are problem areas because they have a paucity of blood circulation and do not receive enough heat.

Sweet Sweat works by enhancing and accelerating the heat produced in the areas where it was placed o the skin. This theory is based off of thermogenics.

Thermogenic action is the process of generating energy in the body. Through physical activities, your body releases heat by utilizing stored calories. To burn more calories during a workout, the body must sustain enough thermogenic action without overheating the muscles.

Sweet Sweat is designed to create a thermogenic effect on the applied areas. It increases the circulation of exercising muscles, allowing you to maximize your workouts. It also accelerates warm up and recovery time.

In addition, Sweet Sweat also reduces the risk of aches, cramps and muscle pulls. By speeding up recovery time, your muscles will be able to exercise without taking an off-day or feeling sore. It activates blood flow to the muscles and therefore recovery occurs faster because with the blood comes oxygen that allows for a speedier recovery.

Sweet Sweat improves overall performance through vasodilation. It helps relax your blood vessels and improve blood circulation, efficiently carrying the essential oxygen and nutrients to the applied areas.

Whether you wish to apply it to just your problem areas or your whole body it will increase your tempertature. A Simmons student who purchased the product at the marathon expo said “It was one of the best workouts I have ever had. It was easy to apply and did not feel greasy at all. I highly suggest it for a great workout.”

For about $40 you can get the Sweet Sweat Jar or Sweet Sweat Stick. Other Sweet Sweat products include supplements and their Sweet Sweat Waist Trimmer.

There are a lot of health and fitness products out there. Make sure before you invest in them you research the product and make sure it will give you the results you desire. Health products tend to promise a lot so make sure there is actual science behind their claims and that you fully understand them.