What top can I wear to stop being a big sweaty mess when I exercise?

[ToveCoco]

I've recently started playing a team sport which I'm loving, except that I'm over-heating so much that I have to keep sitting out or leaving early.

I'm a couple of stone overwight (which no doubt doesn't help) and currently wear a loose cotton t-shirt and drink loads of water, but we play indoors in a sports hall with no air con and a glass roof 🥵 The optional club top is a cotton/polyester polo shirt which won't keep me cool.

I've no idea what to buy. I don't like anything clingy or cropped, interested if anyone has experience of wearing merino for exercising? Happy to spend up to £100 on two or three tops.

Recommendations desperately sought! Thank you.

I just saw my tshirt is already posted! They're not very see through unless you stare hard. It's French, so go at least 1 size bigger than you'd buy in M&S, but I could start mine all through pregnancy with swimmer's shoulders so they're not too tight

That'll make you sweat like a pig! Get a proper sports bra for both support and sweat relief. The rules for sport are opposite than holiday: synthetic is nearly always better, apart from merino for outdoors. Synthetic wicks sweat, dries fast and keeps its shape when it's wet.

If I'm doing a high impact/cardio workout and know I'm going to sweat a lot (which I do!) I wear black racerback top and Sweaty Betty leggings. I also carry a towel, wear a headband, drink loads of water. If I'm doing a less sweat-inducing session, I like this: https://www.next.co.uk/style/su446673/ae6305
I have it in green and might order another colour as the fit is great - I'm 5ft 11 and 12/14, it's plenty long enough and really comfortable/cool.

I would go for synthetic sweat wicking clothes, as brief as possible but still decent e.g vest type top and shorts so legs and arms are bare. Wiping sweat away is a bit self defeating; your body produces sweat to cool you by evaporation because it needs to cool down. Constantly wiping sweat away just makes your body work harder to replace it, so if you can just leave it there to work you should feel cooler, well in theory anyway. Sweat in the eyes can be a PITA, though as a veteran of hot yoga, a person can get used to that too. Having said all that, running the inside of your wrists under cold water or using a cold flannel is surprisingly refreshing. Make sure you drink enough, preferably after exercise, water sloshing around your insides can make you feel nauseous, so if you must drink during exercise just sip enough to wet your mouth, don’t chug gallons.

I really like these not too clingy.
They do them every season in different colours, with short sleeves in the winter.

I wear gym bra and shorts atm but sweat so much. It’s the sign of a decent workout ☺️. I have a sweat towel, sweat band and water with electrolytes

i find black or lighter patterns tend to show sweat least

Right, I've bought the Kiprun 500 women's t-shirt and, because it's sort of lilac and I'm not usually a pastel person, I've also bought the mens version, 2XL in black! And some wrist sweatbands.

Its all much cheaper than I expected and feels odd buying synthetics when i always go for natural fibres in my normal clothes, but I'm listening to everyone's advice.

Re the bra, I do have a proper synthetic sports bra that seems to fit well but its a racer back (I think) and it gives me a sore neck and headache after the two hour sport session, so I now wear a substantial cotton bra instead, which works well comfort wise but does (TMI) have awful sort of tide marks from the sweat when I take it off.

My new tops will be delivered the day before my next session, I'm hopeful they'll work - even just staying a bit cooler will make a big difference to me.

@GymBunny2025 what actually are electrolytes and where do i get them please?

Don't waste your money on electrolyte drinks. Weak squash plus a pinch of salt per 500ml. Personally I would stick to plain water unless you're playing for at least a couple of hours. If you insist on trying them I'm sure Decathlon will sell sachets. They'll taste disgusting unless you like artificial flavours.

With you on your preference for natural fabrics, but sometimes the technical properties of synthetics really are an advantage. Hoping that someone commercialises micro plastic munching bacteria before too long as I do worry about the pollution.

https://highfive.co.uk/products/zero

i use these

P.S. I am the wrong person to advise you on specific sports bras, but definitely worth busting the budget for one that's comfy and works (even as a 34A I wouldn't run without my high-impact sports bra). Boobydoo caters to all shapes and sizes (plenty of larger women ride horses...) and might be worth a look.

I had the same problem in cotton and was over heating to the point of being ill in spin classes.

I now have a few Under Armour vest tops which are looser and are made of sweat wicking fabric.

My top is always damp afterwards. I only wear black or white due to the level of sweating I do however my actual body feels cool, my face is less beetroot like and generally I am more comfortable.

Make sure you drink plenty to replace lost fluids xx

These are brilliant. I dance in an un air conditioned space and in weather like this, and I wear it permanently around my neck. It just needs wetting and wringing out.

Oops!

www.amazon.co.uk/YQXCC-Cooling-Microfiber-Instant-Swimming/dp/B07SS9NPLJ/ref=sr_1_8?adgrpid=60146397584&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.q2SIiFBPU_Y4Db-4Ibu9jCSmioXU5VYUG_p1uR5VECXqJBDd345MZ1AKYd7mSb4AvgV73-c5qgjnv1virAARQKeKg3eb0Y-9MMFtXJk5OHUIXrknSy3WHgpwYyQY99741SXpyEBRv90NvMxAB-NxykRgYaD9_STzMgH68oA0K4RpEuIJMKHUZRPyY6-v7lKsDUIekdfa2-mamfqTvyM8FwtH7CjBKF4ngNis5ZPDBGqlpQngpU57d0r9t8OrnSUVt6bV7lroxuBKWQ0F3lUO1nHR2ik880WOcP2cFrh4x5s.G1QyJqtvQlDfzk3oaIEJShBRhJbs8PwVGGEoaIvLUi8&dib_tag=se&gad_source=1&hvadid=259084582987&hvdev=c&hvexpln=0&hvlocphy=1006886&hvnetw=g&hvocijid=2990372905890794626--&hvqmt=e&hvrand=2990372905890794626&hvtargid=kwd-297800580681&hydadcr=28149_1724799&keywords=cooling%2Btowels&mcid=716ad63eb3b53d97bddae1917f342965&qid=1750371948&sr=8-8&th=1

@BakewellGin1 that is so encouraging, thanks. And it's nice to know I'm not the only one who over heats so dramatically it feels (and looks, I'm sure!) really odd. Within about 15 minutes I get that feeling you have when you get off the plane on holiday to a hot country and I just get hotter and hotter as the session goes on, while everyone else looks cool and aren't fanning themselves or mopping their brow with a wet flannel. Some of them wear sporty type tops but mostly normal t-shirts, or footy type tops for the men.

@Ohyeahwaitaminute brilliant, I've ordered those. Thanks!

Can I suggest the M&S good move range? They do lovely oversized technical sweat wicking T-shirts in black, so not natural fibres but they really do help. Plus, they do a good firm hold sports bra that fastens at the back like a normal bra. Wired or unwired.

Seconding the M&S range. I’ve lost weight over the years but started off with this in an 18. The back is longer than the front which is always handy. I’m quite big breasted (34G) and wear a Shock Absorber Bra, the D+ type doesn’t have a racer back - I can dislocate my shoulder trying to put one of those on!

https://www.marksandspencer.com/scoop-neck-mesh-back-t-shirt/p/clp60506171?color=COBALT#intid=pid_pg1pip48g4r5c1