Do people sweat less as they get older?

On average, yes. Eccrine glands atrophy and release less sweat per gland, and the temperature needed to trigger sweating rises. In one heating study, adults around 64 produced roughly 58-72% of the sweat rate of adults around 23 at the trunk and limbs, and as little as 26-29% at a mild heat strain (Smith 2013).

At what age does sweating start to decline?

It is gradual, but some studies detect reduced sweating capacity by about age 40, with larger differences by the 60s. Fitness and heat acclimation strongly influence the timing, so there is no single cutoff.

Why are older adults more at risk in heat waves?

Because two cooling systems weaken together: sweat output per gland falls and skin blood flow rises 2-3 times less than in younger adults, so the body stores 1.3-1.8 times more heat under the same load. During the 2003 Paris heat wave, 81% of one center's 2,814 deaths were in people over 75 (Epstein 2005).

Does the whole body lose sweating ability equally?

No. The age-related decline is uneven, generally greater at the trunk (abdomen, back) than at the arms and legs, which is why regional sweat measurements differ so much between sites (Smith 2013).

Can staying fit slow the decline?

Fitness and heat acclimation help. Trained and acclimatized older adults often sweat and tolerate heat better than sedentary peers, though studies still generally find some age-related reduction. This page reports averages, not limits for any one person.

When should reduced or increased sweating in an older adult prompt a doctor visit?

A noticeable change from usual - much less sweating with heat intolerance, or new drenching sweats especially at night - is worth a clinician's review, since medications and medical conditions can drive it. Signs of heat illness (confusion, faintness, very high temperature) need urgent care.

Research

How Sweating Changes With Age

Sweating capacity declines with age. Older adults' eccrine sweat glands produce less sweat per gland, the core temperature needed to trigger sweating rises, and skin blood flow responds more weakly to heat. In controlled heating studies, adults in their 60s produced only about 26-72% of young adults' regional sweat rate depending on the site and the heat load, and stored 1.3-1.8x more body heat under the same conditions. These blunted responses are a large part of why older adults are the most heat-vulnerable age group. This page traces each figure to its source. It is general education, not medical advice.

By the Sweat Explained Editorial Team · Published 2026-07-13 · Last reviewed 2026-07-13 · Educational information, not medical advice.

Key statistics at a glance

26-72%
of young adults' regional sweat rate produced by adults in their 60s, depending on body site and heat strain
Smith 2013
1.3-1.8x
more body heat stored by older vs younger adults under the same heat load
Kenny 2017; Larose 2014 (via Millyard 2020)
2-3x less
rise in skin blood flow during heat exposure compared with younger adults
Ho 1997; Minson 1998 (via Millyard 2020)
by age 40
reduced sweating capacity is already observable in some studies
Dufour & Candas 2007; Larose 2013 (via Millyard 2020)
81%
of 2,814 deaths recorded at one Paris center in the 2003 heat wave were in people aged over 75
Epstein 2005 (via Millyard 2020)

What changes with age

Sweating is the body's main defense against overheating, and it weakens with age. The eccrine sweat glands that cover most of the body atrophy over time and release less sweat per gland, while the nervous system's drive to sweat becomes less sensitive. The practical result is a lower sweat output for any given rise in body temperature, and a higher temperature threshold before sweating even begins.

In a controlled whole-body heating study, adults averaging 64 years produced dramatically less sweat than adults averaging 23 years, and the gap depended on how much heat strain they were under. At a mild rise in core temperature (0.5°C), older adults produced only about 26% of the young group's sweat rate at the forearm and 29% at the abdomen. At a larger core rise (1.0°C), the gap narrowed but remained substantial — older adults reached roughly 58% (abdomen), 61% (lower back), 62% (thigh) and 72% (arm) of young values (Smith 2013).

These are not uniform, whole-body declines: the reduction is greater at the trunk than at the limbs, which is why regional figures differ so much.

Older adults' sweat rate as a share of young adults'

At a moderate heat strain (1.0°C rise in core temperature), adults in their 60s produced well under three-quarters of the sweat rate of adults in their 20s at every body site measured. Lower values mean a larger age-related decrement.

Regional sweat rate in older adults (mean age 64) as a percentage of young adults (mean age 23), at a 1.0°C core temperature rise

Regional sweat rate in older adults (mean age 64) as a percentage of young adults (mean age 23), at a 1.0°C core temperature rise
Group	Value
Abdomen	58%
Lower back	61%
Thigh	62%
Arm	72%

Source: Smith CJ, Alexander LM, Kenney WL. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 2013. Chart is an original rendering of the cited data.

A higher threshold and weaker blood flow

Two other changes compound the drop in sweat output. First, the core temperature at which sweating starts rises with age: in one classic study, resting men over 60 began sweating at a core temperature of about 37.0°C, while men under 40 started at 36.7°C (Sagawa 1988, reported in Millyard 2020). A higher threshold means heat builds up longer before the cooling response kicks in.

Second, the skin's ability to shed heat by increasing blood flow is blunted. Older adults raise their skin blood flow roughly 2-3 times less than younger adults during heat exposure (Ho 1997; Minson 1998, reported in Millyard 2020). Because sweating and skin blood flow are the two arms of heat loss, weakening both means older adults store more heat: reviews estimate they accumulate 1.3-1.8 times more body heat than younger adults under the same heat load (Kenny 2017; Larose 2014, reported in Millyard 2020).

Age-related changes at a glance

Each row below is a distinct, measured change. Figures come from controlled laboratory heating studies; the values reflect specific study populations and conditions, not every individual.

Summary of age-related thermoregulatory changes and their verified figures
Change with age	Finding	Source
Regional sweat output	Older adults (age ~64) produced 58-72% of young adults' sweat rate at trunk and limbs at a 1.0°C core rise; as low as 26-29% at a mild heat strain	Smith 2013
Onset of decline	Reduced sweating capacity observable by about age 40	Millyard 2020 review
Sweating threshold	Men over 60 began sweating at 37.0°C core vs 36.7°C in men under 40	Millyard 2020 review
Skin blood flow	~2-3x smaller rise during heat exposure than younger adults	Millyard 2020 review
Body heat storage	1.3-1.8x more heat stored under the same heat load	Millyard 2020 review

Threshold, blood-flow, heat-storage and onset figures are quoted from a 2020 review that compiled the original studies (Sagawa 1988; Ho 1997; Minson 1998; Kenny 2017; Larose 2013/2014; Dufour & Candas 2007).

Why this matters in a heat wave

These blunted responses make older adults the age group most at risk during extreme heat. When the body cannot sweat or shunt blood to the skin efficiently, core temperature climbs, straining the heart and raising the risk of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. The pattern shows up starkly in heat-wave mortality: at one Paris health center during the 2003 European heat wave, 81% of the 2,814 recorded deaths were in people aged over 75 (Epstein 2005, reported in Millyard 2020).

Medications common in older age (such as some diuretics and anticholinergics) and chronic conditions can further reduce sweating or heat tolerance, adding to the physiological changes described here. Anyone caring for an older adult during hot weather — or who notices confusion, faintness, or a very high temperature — should treat it as urgent and seek medical care.

How to read these numbers

The takeaway is not that older adults stop sweating — they still sweat, and many remain heat-tolerant, especially if fit and acclimatized. The reliable message is directional: on average, sweat output per gland falls, the sweating threshold rises, and skin blood flow responds less, so the margin of safety in the heat shrinks with age. The exact percentages vary by body site, heat load, fitness, and study.

These are age-related averages from healthy volunteers, not a diagnosis. A sudden change in sweating — either much less sweating or new drenching night sweats — is worth discussing with a clinician, because it can reflect medication effects or an underlying condition rather than normal aging.

Methodology and limitations

This page draws on controlled human heating studies and peer-reviewed reviews of aging and thermoregulation. The primary regional-sweating figures come from Smith, Alexander & Kenney (2013), which compared young (mean 23 years, n=9) and older (mean 64 years, n=9) adults during whole-body heating. Threshold, skin-blood-flow, heat-storage, onset and heat-wave-mortality figures are quoted as compiled in a 2020 review (Millyard et al.), which cites the original studies (Sagawa 1988; Ho 1997; Minson 1998; Kenny 2017; Larose 2013/2014; Dufour & Candas 2007; Epstein 2005). Landmark reviews by Kenney & Munce (2003) and Balmain et al. (2018) provide the broader physiological context.

Limitations: laboratory heating studies use small, selected samples and specific heat loads, so absolute percentages should not be read as fixed for every individual. Age-related decline in sweating varies widely with fitness, heat acclimation, body composition, medications and health status; some studies find little difference in well-trained older adults. Cross-sectional age comparisons cannot separate 'aging' from lifelong differences in activity or acclimatization. Nothing here is a diagnosis or medical advice.

Frequently asked questions

Do people sweat less as they get older?: On average, yes. Eccrine glands atrophy and release less sweat per gland, and the temperature needed to trigger sweating rises. In one heating study, adults around 64 produced roughly 58-72% of the sweat rate of adults around 23 at the trunk and limbs, and as little as 26-29% at a mild heat strain (Smith 2013).
At what age does sweating start to decline?: It is gradual, but some studies detect reduced sweating capacity by about age 40, with larger differences by the 60s. Fitness and heat acclimation strongly influence the timing, so there is no single cutoff.
Why are older adults more at risk in heat waves?: Because two cooling systems weaken together: sweat output per gland falls and skin blood flow rises 2-3 times less than in younger adults, so the body stores 1.3-1.8 times more heat under the same load. During the 2003 Paris heat wave, 81% of one center's 2,814 deaths were in people over 75 (Epstein 2005).
Does the whole body lose sweating ability equally?: No. The age-related decline is uneven, generally greater at the trunk (abdomen, back) than at the arms and legs, which is why regional sweat measurements differ so much between sites (Smith 2013).
Can staying fit slow the decline?: Fitness and heat acclimation help. Trained and acclimatized older adults often sweat and tolerate heat better than sedentary peers, though studies still generally find some age-related reduction. This page reports averages, not limits for any one person.
When should reduced or increased sweating in an older adult prompt a doctor visit?: A noticeable change from usual - much less sweating with heat intolerance, or new drenching sweats especially at night - is worth a clinician's review, since medications and medical conditions can drive it. Signs of heat illness (confusion, faintness, very high temperature) need urgent care.

Sources

Primary peer-reviewed studies and official sources first, then reviews and institutional framing (secondary).

Smith CJ, Alexander LM, Kenney WL. Nonuniform, age-related decrements in regional sweating and skin blood flow. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2013;305(8):R877-R885. Full text
Millyard A, Layden JD, Pyne DB, Edwards AM, Bloxham SR. Impairments to Thermoregulation in the Elderly During Heat Exposure Events. Gerontol Geriatr Med. 2020;6:2333721420932432. (Review compiling Sagawa 1988; Ho 1997; Minson 1998; Kenny 2017; Larose 2013/2014; Dufour & Candas 2007; Epstein 2005.) Full text
Kenney WL, Munce TA. Invited review: Aging and human temperature regulation. J Appl Physiol. 2003;95(6):2598-2603. PubMed
Balmain BN, Sabapathy S, Louis M, Morris NR. Aging and Thermoregulatory Control: The Clinical Implications of Exercising under Heat Stress in Older Individuals. Biomed Res Int. 2018;2018:8306154. Journal

How to cite this page

Sweat Explained. How Sweating Changes With Age. Published 2026-07-13; last reviewed 2026-07-13. Available at: https://sweatexplained.com/research/how-sweating-changes-with-age

Please cite the original studies for the underlying figures. Journalists are welcome to link to this page; the charts are original renderings of the cited data.