Should I wash myself after training in the gym?

Some people wince in disgust, imagining that they can pull clean clothes onto a body sticky with sweat. Others prefer to drive home and then rinse off in their bathtub.

In the “ Yod ” telegram channel we tell you how to take care of your health based on evidence-based medicine.

However, not a single official guide says whether it is necessary to take a shower as soon as possible after physical activity, and what will happen if this is not done.

We will try to figure out whether it is dangerous to delay washing after training. And can showering at the gym provide any benefits other than just making you feel clean?

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How often should you shower?

Is it true that you can catch a disease in the gym if you don’t wash?

A lot of people with different hygiene habits gather in the gym , touching exercise equipment and equipment, sweat dripping onto the benches and mats. All this creates a favorable environment for the spread of bacteria, and they are present in abundance on many surfaces.

In one study, researchers took samples from different locations in an American fitness center and identified 25 types of bacteria. Many of the microbes discovered were common parts of the human flora, such as gut- dwelling Firmicutes, Proteobacter and Actinobacteria. But pathogenic bacteria were also present, including Salmonella , Klebsiella, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. They were mainly found on the handles of cardio equipment, dumbbell bars and toilet handles.

Since bacteria survive on surfaces for a long time, a person can easily pick up germs by lying on a public rug, working out on a machine or using dumbbells .

At the same time, it is difficult to estimate how great the risk of actually getting sick from the fact that these microbes settle on you is. What’s more, taking a shower isn’t likely to protect you from bacteria because plain water doesn’t wash them away.

It is also not true that sweating or drying out greatly increases the risk of skin infections. For example, in one study, scientists found that the health hazard Staphylococcus aureus does not tolerate heavy sweating very well because the process greatly changes the salt concentration and pH values ​​of the skin.

What’s more, in one study, scientists found that eccrine sweat glands—those that are present over a larger area of ​​the body—continuously produce the antimicrobial peptide dermicidin. It is carried through sweat to the surface of the skin and can kill E.coli, Staphylococcus aureus, fecal enterococcus and Candida.

The study’s author said they don’t yet know how dermicidin works, but they think it plays a key role in the skin’s immune response. Of course, you should not declare sweat a healing substance, but there is definitely nothing harmful or dangerous in it.

Most of your contact with equipment and exercise equipment is with your hands, so washing your hands well with soap and water will be enough to reduce your risks. Also, if you are concerned about bacteria, you can lay a clean towel on the bench, choose sportswear that covers your body, and wash it after each visit to the gym.

Can you get pimples if you don’t take a shower?

The American Academy of Dermatology website states that after exercising, you should immediately wash away bacteria that can cause acne.

At the same time, acne does not appear from poor hygiene and dirt. Most of the biological reactions that cause this condition occur under the skin rather than on its surface, so cleansing does not affect the severity of acne. This does not depend on the number of bacteria on the skin or in the sebaceous ducts.

So your skin is less likely to suffer if you shower an hour or two later rather than immediately after your workout.

Can visiting the shower at the gym be harmful?

In a public shower you can catch a fungus that causes mycosis of the feet – a dermatophyte infection, also sometimes called “athlete’s foot”. Symptoms of this disease include itchy erosions between the toes, peeling skin, and the formation of blisters on the inside of the foot.

This disease is transmitted by contact, that is, by contact with a contaminated surface. Therefore, in fitness centers – in locker rooms, saunas and showers – you should not step on the floor with bare feet. At the same time, you can easily protect yourself from infection by wearing flip-flops.

You can also find information on the Internet that you should not take a shower immediately after intense exercise – first you need to wait 20-30 minutes, and then go wash. The authors state that you should first allow the body to cool down after exercise, but it is completely unclear why this is necessary. Perhaps in order not to sweat again after leaving the shower.

If we talk about sports performance, you really shouldn’t cool your muscles immediately after exercise. Several studies have shown that cold slows down the processes necessary for muscle growth, so if you’re fighting for every inch of bicep girth, it’s best not to linger under cold streams of water.

At the same time, taking a warm shower or even a quick rinse with cold water is unlikely to cool the muscles much and slow down progress. So you can safely take a shower immediately after leaving the gym. Just don’t forget to wear flip-flops.

What’s the result?

Whether you take a shower immediately after training or upon arriving home is not particularly important. Neither mode will increase the risk of infection, harm your skin or affect your athletic performance.

So keep doing what you’re comfortable with.