Germs from the gym

The authors pointed out that skin infections in athletes are extremely common and account for more than half the outbreaks of infectious diseases that occur among participants in competitive sports. And if you think skin problems are minor,consider what happened to Kyle Frey,a 21-year-old competitive wrestler at Drexel University in Philadelphia,USA.

Frey noticed a pimple on his arm last winter but thought little of it. He competed in a match on a Saturday,but by the next morning the pimple had grown to the size of his biceps and had become very painful.
His athletic trainer sent him straight to the emergency room,where the lesion was lanced and cultured. Two days later,he learned he had MRSA,the potentially deadly staphylococcus infection that is resistant to most antibiotics.

Frey spent five days in the hospital,where the lesion was surgically cleaned and stitched and treated with antibiotics that cleared the infection. He said that he does not know how he acquired MRSA: The wrestling mat might have been contaminated,or I wrestled with someone who had the infection.

The Risks
Recreational athletes as well as participants in organised sports are prone to fungal,viral and bacterial skin infections. Sweat,abrasion and direct or indirect contact with the lesions and secretions of others combine to make every athletes skin vulnerable to a host of problems. While MRSA may be the most serious skin infection,athletes foot,jock itch,boils,impetigo,herpes simplex and ringworm,among others,are not exactly fun or attractive.

Athletes who are infected should be kept from competing in matches for a week or more until treatment renders them non-infectious.

Steven M Zinder,a trainer at the University of North Carolina,and chief author of the new paper,said in an interview that these recommendations are not esoteric.

Its all common sense, he said. You need to keep yourself and your equipment clean. You never know who last used the equipment in a gym.

The report,published in the August issue of The Journal of Athletic Training,stated,Athletes must shower after every practice and game with an antibacterial soap and water over the entire body.

Dr Zinder noted that after a workout,women tend not to shower at the facility,while men,who are more likely to shower,often fail to cleanse their entire bodies,including their feet. Well-equipped facilities should provide antibacterial liquid soap.

Assume Exposure
Jack Foley,athletic trainer and director of sports medicine at Lehigh University in Bethlehem,Pennsylvania,and co-author of the report,said athletes should always assume they are exposed to skin infections.

While hand hygiene is most important over all,avoiding fungal infections requires a daily change of athletic socks and underwear; carefully drying the armpits and groin and between toes (perhaps blow-drying the feet on low heat); and using foot powder. Shower shoes can help prevent infection as long as they dont keep you from soaping your feet.

A viral infection called molluscum contagiosum may not be on the popular tongue,but it is commonly seen in young children and,spread through skin-to-skin contact,is not uncommon among athletes,including swimmers,cross-country runners and wrestlers,the report stated.
Prevention of this highly contagious infection requires meticulous hygiene after contact with secretions from other athletes through benches,towels and mats.

If you plan to work out in a gym or use a locker room,Foley suggested that before choosing a facility,you quiz the management about the cleaning agents used and daily cleaning schedule for all surfaces and equipment. If exercise mats are not cleaned between classes,he suggested bringing your own. Antibacterial wipes or spray bottles should be provided and used by everyone to clean equipment after a workout.
NYT