Life pro tip for those who do stink when they sweat:
If you ever find yourself in a pinch, and either you forgot deodorant or it wore off (it’s bullshit that these deodorants last 24+ hours), you can use hand sanitizer as makeshift deodorant. The isopropyl alcohol in the hand sanitizer will also kill the bacteria that breaks down those lipids that cause the odor. You can also substitute rubbing alcohol for deodorant and it generally lasts longer.
I’m not comfortable with calling something that is prevalent in 80%-95% of an area’s population a dysfunction unless it results in remarkably lower life expectancy or quality of life otherwise.
The condition is caused by a loss-of-function mutation. It’s a statement about a protein, not about the whole person.
Edit: ChatGPT explains it better than I can.
The ABCC11 gene encodes an apical efflux pump that helps transport fatty compounds, or lipids, from cells into sweat. When the gene is non-functional, these lipids can’t cross the membrane barrier to reach the armpit. This prevents bacteria from accessing and metabolizing the organic compounds in sweat, which in turn reduces the production of odorant substances.
I’m East Asian. My ex (also Asian) said I smelled bad sometimes after exercising, but my current partner (not Asian) says I don’t have any body odor. I do think that when we go to the gym together, their smell far outweighs mine. I can’t smell myself at all, but then again, people are usually habituated to their own scents.
Sometimes, though, when I was a child, my father would come home from the gym, and we could all smell him from a mile away. I don’t know if that’s because the gene skipped him or if it’s just because humans generally think their close family members are stinky.
It’s nice to talk about this when my armpits aren’t in danger of being sniffed by several drunk friends.
Hmmm I smelled of onions before transitioning but my hormones were out of wack before that. I’ll ask one of my friends that was a body builder before her transition if she noticed a change.
I think it’s diet dependant. I notice there’s a distinct change in my body odor when my diet contains a great deal of onions and spices and a general acrid scent that’s somewhat evocative of funky cheese.
A decade ago, it was damn near impossible to get actual deodorant, not antiperspirant, in Korea. I had to get folks from The States to mail me Old Spice occasionally.