AQA GCSE · Question 06.8 · Homeostasis and Response
Some days the athlete did not do any training and rested at home. What effect would resting have on the volume of sweat produced each day?
How to approach this question
Think about why the body sweats. Sweating is a cooling mechanism used when the body gets too hot. Compare the amount of heat generated by the body during training versus during rest. How would this affect the need to sweat?
Full Answer
It would decrease / be less.
The primary function of sweating is to cool the body down when it overhears. During training, muscle activity generates a large amount of heat, which raises the core body temperature. To counteract this, the body produces sweat, which cools the skin as it evaporates. When resting, much less heat is generated by the muscles. Therefore, the body does not need to lose as much heat, and the volume of sweat produced would decrease significantly.
Common mistakes
✗ Stating it would increase or stay the same.
✗ Giving a reason without stating the effect (e.g., "the athlete is not hot" instead of "it would decrease").
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