Are Meat Sweats Real?

Have you ever scarfed down barbecue at a summer cookout or indulged on too much turkey and fixings at Thanksgiving dinner, only to find yourself sweating more than usual?

Many people refer to this as having the meat sweats, an unofficial phrase that has become popular during the past two decades. This blog will explore meat sweats and if they are, in fact, real. 

What are meat sweats?

Meat sweats is an unofficial phrase used to describe excessive perspiration when eating large quantities of any high-protein food – not just meat. Most often, meat sweats describe fatty foods such as steaks or barbecued meats. But, in theory, it could also include eating chicken, turkey or fish. 

The phrase meat sweats isn’t a scientific or medical term. Merriam-Webster doesn’t even recognize it as an official word. That’s because there isn’t a confirmed scientific explanation for it or a study that proves this phenomenon.  

Instead, it is believed to have been made popular in the early 2000s during an episode of the hit show “Friends.” 

Regardless of origin, “meat sweats” is used conversationally and on social media, which helps fuel the question of its validity. 

Are meat sweats real?

In short, it depends on who you ask. Some dieticians and health care providers may claim meat sweats has to do with something called the thermic effect of food, in which eating large amounts of protein causes your body temperature to increase, thus making your body sweat to cool you down. However, others will counter how even eating pounds of food would only slightly raise body temperature, but not enough to cause excessive sweating. 

Translation: It’s unclear if meat sweats is a thing, and there is currently no scientific evidence that proves otherwise. 

Still, there are several hypotheses out there, led by the concept of thermogenesis, that have created an interesting discussion. 

Thermogenesis and a possible cause of meat sweats

Whenever you eat food, your body needs energy to break it down and absorb nutrients. Proteins contain tiny chemical bonds that are complicated to digest in comparison to carbohydrates or fats – many different enzymes are needed to process proteins.  

Thermogenesis involves the energy created to digest, absorb and discard nutrients as part of the calorie-burning process. Thermogenesis is the body’s way of creating heat. The idea is energy use ramps up when digesting food and, in turn, creates body heat that requires sweat to cool off. 

This increase in metabolic rate is known as diet-induced thermogenesis. Protein has a thermic effect of food of anywhere from 15 to 30 percent, meaning you burn 15 to 30 calories per every 100 calories of protein consumed. By comparison, your body uses much less energy digesting other macronutrients – only 5 to 15 percent digesting carbs and 3 percent digesting fat.  

These calories are in addition to what your body burns throughout the day to carry out many life-sustaining functions such as breathing, circulating blood to and from your heart and cellular growth. This process is known as basal metabolic rate. Basal metabolic rate accounts for at least two-thirds of total calories burned per day. Since your basal metabolic rate is the amount of calories burned at rest, the number remains the same regardless if you stay on the couch all day or run a mile. 

Other potential causes of meat sweats

While the explanation of thermogenesis seems to fit, the rise in temperature may not be enough to produce excessive perspiration, or meat sweats. 

There likely is more to the equation for people who sweat when eating certain types of foods. To start, environmental factors can easily play a role. For example, in the summer, the air temperature is high, the sun is out and food items off the hot grill can all contribute to sweating. Other times, spicy foods can compound excessive perspiration. 

Certain foods – processed meats, sugary foods, caffeine and alcohol – can also stimulate hormones such as cortisol that increase metabolic function and raise your body temperature. that makes you sweat more.  

When your body experiences low blood sugar levels, it releases adrenaline hormones that can cause sweating. 

What to do about excessive sweating when eating

The occasional sweating when indulging at a buffet for a family event or dinner with friends shouldn’t alarm you. However, you should look into any possible health concerns if you notice constant sweating when consuming protein. 

It may be a sign that your diet is out of balance, or that your body is not metabolizing food the way it should be. Call your doctor if it’s a persistent issue.

You should know certain foods can make the issue worse. For example, consuming alcohol and high-protein foods together can compound the issue by increasing the heat used to digest them together. 

If you’re worried about consuming too much protein, try limiting your serving size to 3 to 6 ounces. Anything more may be contributing to sweating. 

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