Site Differences in Electrolyte Concentration Assessed by the Water Bottle Sweat Measure

ABSTRACT Electrolyte concentration of sweat as a function of sampling site was assessed by the water bottle technique in 36 female and 36 male, right‐handed college students. Sweat samples were taken under resting conditions from the five finger tips and the palm of both hands. Electrolyte concentration was lower at the palm than at the fingers, among which concentrations were not appreciably different. There was no evidence of different electrolyte concentrations between matching sites on the left and right hands, nor were sex differences in concentration observed. Because the fingers seem to be similar in electrolyte concentration, they might be used interchangeably in group studies involving multiple water bottle sweat samplings.