Texans are known for loving barbecue. But eating too much meat can leave some feeling a flushed, sweaty heat colloquially known as “meat sweats.”
The phenomenon is so widely recognized it has seeped into pop culture. In a 2001 episode of Friends, Matt LeBlanc’s Joey Tribbiani announced, “Here come the meat sweats,” after demolishing a Thanksgiving turkey. In 2022, Arby’s and Old Spice teamed up to launch “Meat Sweats Defense,” a spray-on deodorant marketed for fighting the “dreaded meat sweats.”
But are meat sweats a real medical condition? Here’s what you need to know.
Breaking down protein takes energy
While there is scientific debate over whether meat sweats are real, the sensation could be explained by something called diet-induced thermogenesis, or the rise in body temperature that occurs after eating.
Lorenzo Brightman slices ribs for customers at Sweet Georgia Brown, Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026, in Dallas.
Elías Valverde II / Staff Photographer
To break down food, our bodies use energy, with protein digestion being the most metabolically costly. When you eat a protein-heavy meal, your body has to turn long chains of amino acids — the building blocks of protein — into smaller components, a process that requires more energy than digesting carbohydrates or fats. Using that extra energy temporarily increases your metabolic rate — a response known as postprandial thermogenesis — and generates heat.
In response, your body sends more blood to the skin and activates sweat glands to release excess heat. That sweaty flush after eating brisket could be your body’s way of cooling itself.
While meat sweats aren’t a formal diagnosis, some research supports the idea that high-protein meals produce more heat.
A 1999 study of eight women found that participants burned more calories, or energy, when eating a high-protein diet compared with a high-fat diet.
Meat is chopped for the pastrami sandwich from Smokey John’s Bar-B-Que at the State Fair of Texas in Dallas on Sept. 30, 2024.
Jason Janik / Special Contributor
A separate 1999 study suggests meat sweats may start with the senses. When researchers compared beef and fish meals with comparable amounts of protein, the beef option was rated by participants as more tasty and triggered a bigger early burst of energy use and heat production. This finding hinted that smell and taste may rev up the body’s metabolism.
What are the symptoms of meat sweats? Can you avoid it?
The main sign people associate with meat sweats is profuse sweating shortly after a protein-heavy meal. Some people report feeling their body temperature rise, noticing sweat on the forehead, face, neck or other areas and seeing flushed skin, such as reddened cheeks. These effects are typically temporary and tend to fade on their own fairly quickly, according to Medical News Today.
For meat lovers, the most reliable way to reduce the odds of sweating is to eat a smaller portion.
Jacob Meyer, left, and his friend Jon Smith, both from Arlington, eat spare ribs from Wright’s Barbecue during Lone Star Smokeout, Friday, May 2, 2025, in Arlington.
Chitose Suzuki / Staff Photographer
Sweating after eating isn’t always meat sweats. In some cases, it can be tied to an underlying issue. One common and usually harmless condition is gustatory hyperhidrosis, sometimes known as Frey’s syndrome, which is related to the nervous system and causes excessive sweating while eating or thinking about food, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Diabetes can cause sweating when there are significant shifts in blood sugar around meals, according to Verywell Health. Parkinson’s disease and other neurological disorders can also affect how the body regulates sweat glands.
Miriam Fauzia is a science reporting fellow at The Dallas Morning News. Her fellowship is supported by the University of Texas at Dallas. The News makes all editorial decisions.