Are the meat sweats real? Experts weigh in on protein-induced perspiration

Morgan Hines, USA TODAY
·4 min read
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Barbecue table spread.
Barbecue table spread.

In 2019, I sat facing my brother, whose brow was sweaty during a family dinner at Emmy Squared.

Four of the restaurant's Detroit-style pizzas sat on the table. He had chowed down on several pepperoni-laden slices and prioritized others with meat toppings.

"Oh man," he said. "I've got the meat sweats."

I laughed, almost spitting out my water. My parents looked concerned.

Before then, I hadn't really heard the phrase. But the term wasn't new then and isn't now. In fact, it's frequently referenced — with many social media users sharing images of piled meat with captions like "bring on the meat sweats."

So, seriously, what are the meat sweats? We asked experts.

Yum: Juicy pulled pork with tangy Hatch vinegar barbecue sauce will wow at your next get-together

What are meat sweats? 

The name kind of says it all. Meat sweats happen when you get very sweaty after eating a large amounts of meat.

And whether or not you've experienced a wet brow after downing hunks of meat, you've likely heard the phrase.

Fast food chain Arby's even launched a limited edition "Meat Sweat Defense Kit" in collaboration with deodorant brand Old Spice earlier this summer — which, according to HypeBeast, sold out.

The term has been used in television shows, too. Some hypothesize the phrase originated or became a "household term" when character Joey Tribbiani used it in the popular sitcom "Friends".

Are the meat sweats real?

Depends on who you ask. Anecdotal evidence is strong, but scientific evidence is weak.

There are plenty of outlets including Men's Health and Food & Wine that have published stories about the veracity of meat sweats citing firsthand experiences, chefs and other experts and commenting on the meat sweats and just how real they are — Insider also cites a physician commenting on the theory.

But actual studies to back these claims are few and far between.

Julia Zumpano, RD, LD who is a registered dietician with Cleveland Clinic's Center for Human Nutrition, tells USA TODAY in an emailed statement that there is no research or evidence-based sources for meat sweats.

Why are the meat sweats thought to happen?

Gena Hamshaw, a registered dietitian in New York City and the author of The Full Helping blog, says meat sweats might occur because of how our bodies digest the specific macronutrient meats are known for: Protein.

"My understanding is that it's really about our body trying to break down protein," she says.

"One hypothesis is that meat sweats are a thermogenic (metabolic heat production) response to eating a large portion of meat. The body can only absorb a certain amount of protein at a time, exceeding that amount can lead to poor absorption and digestion."

In plain terms, your body needs to use so much energy to break the large quantity of meat down and absorb the nutrients from it that you start to break a sweat.

And while there aren't studies on meat sweats specifically, there is research on thermogenesis and protein intake that have found a higher intake of protein induces increased thermogenesis.

Are the meat sweats a problem?

Hamshaw says meat sweats aren't something that should raise alarm.

"The condition itself is not harmful. Like it's nothing is bad or wrong. It's not like a sort of emergency state or an alarming thing," she says.

But, if you're consistently getting the meat sweats, you might want to ask yourself if your diet is balanced. Is your consumption of meat so much that it's displacing other nutritional parts of your diet?

How to avoid the meat sweats

Hamshaw says that you might want to reduce your meat intake if you want to avoid this reaction.

"If it's happening, it may be that you're just eating a lot in one sitting and you might feel a little bit better and actually, you know sort of cause your body or spare your body a little bit of effort by having a slightly smaller portion," Hamshaw says.

Zumpano adds that it's advised to avoid large portions of meat, especially if you want experience this type of reaction.

"In general, a suggested portion of meat varies between 3 to 6 ounces per meal or snack," she says.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Are the meat sweats real? What experts say about the phenomenon