Sweating Out a Cold: Myth or Reality?
The Comfort of Heat and Steam
In some cases, when you’re all packed up as well as surrounded by a pile of tissues, you have a strange wish to hit the sauna or let a warm shower rain down on you. Something about the heat, steam, and sweat winds up making your sniffles relax and allows your mind and body to feel comfortable.
Exercise and Endorphins
You might even be inclined to go for a short run or power through a quick weights session. Despite not being able to breathe through your nose, you might think, “I feel a little better now that I sweat it out.” But wait a minute, does the whole “sweating out a cold” idea have any real merit to it, and is it even safe to do? Here, experts weigh in on why sweating can make you feel as if you recover–and whether it can really help you feel better faster.
Why Sweating Feels Good When You’re Sick
There are a few reasons why sweating can feel so good when you’re under the weather. It’s not all in your head. When you’re ill, exercising can be a significant pick-me-up, thanks to the release of feel-good endorphins you get during physical activity. This flood of endorphins can boost both the way you see your body and yourself and improve your mood, which are all positive effects that you’re likely in need of on those days you feel less than great.
Short-Term Relief from Congestion
If you spend time in a steam bath or warm shower, you might also improve congestion in the short term, as moist air helps clear mucus from your nasal passage. However, don’t get too excited because as soon as you step out, secretions caused by your infection will start to accumulate again.
The Reality of Sweating Out a Cold
But does sweating when you have a cold actually shorten the length of your illness? Not quite. Early studies suggested that because rhinovirus (the virus behind the common cold) thrives at about 90 degrees Fahrenheit, raising your temperature higher than that could keep the virus from growing. Unfortunately, the science hasn’t held up. A review in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews looked at six studies and found that inhaling warm air didn’t have any virus-erasing benefits.
The Purpose of Sweating
You can’t sweat out a cold. Sweat serves a simple function: When sweat evaporates off your skin, your body cools down. It is the main way we lower body temperature. Sweat can protect you from heat exhaustion, heat stroke, and even a super high fever, but it doesn’t target cold viruses.
Toxins in Sweat?
There are few, if any, toxins in your sweat. Sweating doesn’t detoxify your body from cold bugs.
Exercising with a Mild Cold
Even if it won’t speed recovery, it’s okay to sweat if your cold is mild. While caution is key (and there’s nothing wrong with taking a week off if you’re not feeling it), you can exercise if you perform a self-check first. If most of your symptoms are above the neck (sniffling nose, sneezing, sore throat, and no fever), you can exercise within reason.
Recommendations for Mild Cold Symptoms
Stick to your regular workout routine but take it down a notch (work at 50 to 70 percent of your usual effort). Consider steady-state cardio, flow yoga, or Pilates, or lift light weights with high reps.
Severe Symptoms: Rest is Best
If you have a fever or symptoms in your chest, like severe coughing and wheezing, rest until your fever is down and your chest is no longer clogged. Otherwise, you risk complications like bronchitis or pneumonia. If you notice brown mucus, see a doctor for a potential sinus infection.
Using the Steam Room
If you’re healthy with no history of heart problems, you can use the steam room for about 20 minutes. Drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration.
Consider Others’ Health
While using a sauna mid-cold hasn’t been proven to increase the spread of infection, it’s still best to avoid enclosed spaces like saunas or gyms when you’re sick to prevent spreading germs.
Conclusion
The bottom line: Sweating out a cold is practically impossible, but breathing in steam or doing light exercise might help relieve your congestion temporarily.