Skin Sweat Monitoring
Collecting and measuring sweat has traditionally involved placing patches on the skin to collect for later analysis. A new method for analyzing sweat is using biometric sweat monitors that can be applied to the skin which can provide immediate detailed information about sweat composition and sweating rate.
purpose: to use a small electronic device attached to the skin to monitor sweat in real time.
equipment required: sweat biometric patch (e.g. Gx Sweat Patch from Gatorade), razor, alcohol wipes.
pre-test: Explain the test procedures to the subject. Perform screening of health risks and obtain informed consent. Prepare forms and record basic information such as age, height, body weight, gender and test conditions. Calibrate device if possible. See more details of pre-test procedures.
measurement sites: Apply the sweat monitor device to a specific area of skin. There are many possible skin sites to use for sweat collection. The site used may depend on the purposes of testing. Commonly used sites are the upper back, chest, forearm, thigh and forehead. If standard sites are used, the location needs to be measured and marked for correct placement.
a sample of early wearable sweat monitorsprocedure: Prepare the skin by shaving any hair and clean with alcohol wipes and allow to dry, otherwise wash the area with de-ionized water. Attach the sweat monitor to the skin.
results: There are various sweat monitors available, and the range is expected to expand to include measurements of more and more components of sweat. Some patches are able measure sodium, lactate, glucose, chloride ions and the sweat's pH, as well as estimating sweat rate.
references:
- Baker LB. Sweating Rate and Sweat Sodium Concentration in Athletes: A Review of Methodology and Intra/Interindividual Variability. Sports Med. 2017; 47(Suppl 1):111-128.
- Koh A, Kang D, Xue Y, Lee S, Pielak RM, Kim J, Hwang T, Min S, Banks A, Bastien P, Manco MC, Wang L, Ammann KR, Jang KI, Won P, Han S, Ghaffari R, Paik U, Slepian MJ, Balooch G, Huang Y, Rogers JA. A soft, wearable microfluidic device for the capture, storage, and colorimetric sensing of sweat. Sci Transl Med. 2016 Nov 23;8(366):366ra165.
Similar Tests
- Sweat Collection for Analysis — collecting sweat using patches to measure electrolyte composition.
- Whole Body-Washdown — method for whole body sweat collection.
- Sweat Loss Measurement — whole body fluid loss measurement using body weight changes.
- Sweat Rate using patches — measurement of site-specific sweating rate.
- Urine color testing — assessing body hydration by looking at the color of urine.
- Urine specific gravity — using a refractometer to measure the density of a urine sample.
Related Pages
- Sweat Analysis Methods
- Hydration for sport: a collection of articles
- Fitness testing products
- The Future of Fitness Testing — technological advances affecting fitness assessment.
- Technology in Sports
- Measuring dehydration levels
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