Chemosensory properties of human sweat

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • R. Zernecke - , Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (Author)
  • A. M. Kleemann - , Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (Author)
  • K. Haegler - , Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (Author)
  • J. Albrecht - , Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Monell Chemical Senses Center (Author)
  • B. Vollmer - , Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (Author)
  • J. Linn - , Hospital of the Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU) Munich, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (Author)
  • H. Brückmann - , Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (Author)
  • M. Wiesmann - , Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Helios Hospital Group (Author)

Abstract

Human sweat contains a mixture of odorants with trigeminal as well as olfactory properties. It has been shown that trigeminal perception is necessary to localize odors and that humans are not able to localize substances that only activate the olfactory system. To analyze the chemosensory properties of human sweat, we studied humans' ability to localize sweat stimuli to the different nostrils. Human sweat was collected during a bicycle workout (20 males) and was then applied to 34 different subjects (17 females) during odor detection and localization experiments by using an olfactometer. During the detection experiment, subjects were instructed to discriminate between sweat stimuli (20) and blanks (10). During the localization experiment, they were assigned to allocate the stimuli to either the right (15) or the left nostril (15). We found that subjects were able to detect the sweat stimuli with moderate to high sensitivity. However, they failed to localize the sweat stimuli to the accurate nostril above chance level. Due to this inability to localize the stimuli, we conclude that human sweat does not activate the intranasal trigeminal system but only the olfactory system.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)101-108
Number of pages8
JournalChemical senses
Volume35
Issue number2
Publication statusPublished - 30 Nov 2009
Peer-reviewedYes
Externally publishedYes

External IDs

PubMed 19948559

Keywords

Keywords

  • Body odors, Detection, Localization, Olfactory, Trigeminal