Free calculator

Sweat rate calculator

Weigh yourself before and after a game or a workout to find out how much you sweat and how much to drink.

How to measure

  1. Weigh yourself just before, in light clothes, after using the bathroom.
  2. Play or train as usual. Note how much you drink.
  3. Towel off and weigh yourself again in the same clothes, before eating or drinking.

Each kilogram lost is about one litre of sweat. Add what you drank and divide by the time, and you have your sweat rate for those conditions.

What to do with it

Sports nutrition guidelines suggest keeping losses under about 2% of body weight, since bigger losses can hurt performance, especially in the heat. Afterwards, drink about 1.25 to 1.5 litres for every kilogram you lost, spread over a few hours, with some salt from food or a sports drink if you sweat a lot. Do not drink so much during exercise that you gain weight.

Your sweat rate changes with weather, indoor or outdoor play and fitness, so measure it a few times: a summer soccer game and a winter hockey game can be very different.

Questions

How much water should I drink during a game?

Enough to keep weight loss under about 2% of body weight, but not more than you sweat. For many people that is roughly 0.4 to 0.8 litres an hour.

How much should I drink after exercise?

About 1.25 to 1.5 litres for every kilogram of weight you lost, over the next few hours.

Do I need a sports drink?

For under an hour of play, water is usually enough. For longer games, heat, tournaments or heavy, salty sweat, a drink with carbs and sodium helps.

What is a normal sweat rate?

Most athletes sweat between about 0.5 and 2 litres an hour; it depends on the person, the effort and the weather.

Sources

  1. Sawka MN, Burke LM, Eichner ER, et al. American College of Sports Medicine position stand: exercise and fluid replacement. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2007;39(2):377-390.
  2. Thomas DT, Erdman KA, Burke LM. American College of Sports Medicine joint position statement: nutrition and athletic performance. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2016;48(3):543-568.

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