The betaine content of sweat from adolescent females.
BACKGROUND
This study was developed to establish whether betaine was present in the sweat of females and to determine any correlations with other sweat components.


METHODS
Sweat patches were placed on eight trained adolescent Highland dancers (age = 13.6 +/- 2.3 yr), who then participated in a dance class for 2 hours. Patches were removed, and the sweat recovered via centrifugation. The sweat was subsequently analyzed for betaine, choline, sodium, potassium, chloride, lactate, glucose, urea and ammonia.


RESULTS
Betaine was present in the sweat of all subjects (232 +/- 84 mumol.L-1), which is higher than typically found in plasma. The concentration of several sweat components were correlated, in particular betaine with most other measured components.


CONCLUSIONS
Betaine, an osmoprotectant and methyl donor, is a component of sweat that may be lost from the body in significant amounts.
Craig
Shona S
SS
Danisco A/S, Elmsford, NY, USA. stuart.craig@danisco.com.
Craig
Stuart As
SA
Ganio
Matthew S
MS
Maresh
Carl M
CM
Horrace
Greg
G
da Costa
Kerry-Ann
KA
Zeisel
Steven H
SH