hygiene post training

[maxhargrave14]

Hey guys, I'm from Melbourne Australia and I've been training mixed martial arts for about 2 years and am absolutely obsessed with the sport. However, over the duration of my training I have been the recipient to multiple staph infections and ringworm infections. I am strict about my hygiene making sure i shower straight after training although ive noticed for my skin at least, general soaps and gels struggle to battle against infections picked up on the mats and from other training partners.

This has made me interested in making my own soap to ensure cleanliness after training. I just wanted to see if you guys face similiar issues and what are your preferences of soaps to use post training whether that be what brand, gel or bars of soap. I am aware of soaps such as defense soap which has a good reputation for this type of thing.

Any comments about how you keep up your post training hygiene or if you have faced similar problems would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

Do you use grappling shoes when you're on the mat? If you're getting multiple infections it sounds like your gym needs to be doing a better job cleaning on their end though.

 

[maxhargrave14]

Do you use grappling shoes when you're on the mat? If you're getting multiple infections it sounds like your gym needs to be doing a better job cleaning on their end though.

nah no grappling shoes, this was my old gym but yeah, I agree better hygiene on mats from the gyms end may be an issue as well. Do you just use generic soap from the grocery store after you train?

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

nah no grappling shoes, this was my old gym but yeah, I agree better hygiene on mats from the gyms end may be an issue as well. Do you just use generic soap from the grocery store after you train?

I do, and never had an issue. But I also use grappling shoes pretty frequently, and go to gyms where they clean the mats regularly.

 

[drop bear]

Micro shield I think is what I use. And apparently there is another one that is good.

And then you have all the BJJ soaps.

Apparently the trick is to wash as quickly as you can after training.

 

[Buka]

Running a dojo is a lot of work. But if you’re running one you are responsible for everything. If you can’t provide clean mats, clean bathrooms etc, you shouldn’t be running a dojo.

Yeah, it’s a lot of work to keep things clean. Just like training is a lot of work. Students of the Arts have enough to deal with as it is, they shouldn’t have to worry about getting infections at the dojo.

 

[Old CJ]

I've been wondering about this. I shower before and after training. I don't want to be the stinky guy showing up and obviously I want to shower after.

As an old coot I get split callous on the ball of my foot and, sometimes the heel, which is basically an open sore. On these occasions I call in and cancel.

 

[isshinryuronin]

Running a dojo is a lot of work. But if you’re running one you are responsible for everything. If you can’t provide clean mats, clean bathrooms etc, you shouldn’t be running a dojo.

Yeah, it’s a lot of work to keep things clean. Just like training is a lot of work. Students of the Arts have enough to deal with as it is, they shouldn’t have to worry about getting infections at the dojo.

I used to mop the floor every Sat. before class I taught, especially needed as Buddha stayed there on weekends. I also fed and walked him and engaged in kumite with him, often resulting in some blood. Buddha was Sensei's Great Dane and my favorite playmate. Talking about blood, back in those days we didn't worry much about it. The makiwara and canvas heavy bag were nicely blood stained. I contributed most of it. The old dojo still creeps into my dreams occasionally. It was a big part of my life then.

 

[Gyakuto]

Hey guys, I'm from Melbourne Australia and I've been training mixed martial arts for about 2 years and am absolutely obsessed with the sport. However, over the duration of my training I have been the recipient to multiple staph infections and ringworm infections. I am strict about my hygiene making sure i shower straight after training although ive noticed for my skin at least, general soaps and gels struggle to battle against infections picked up on the mats and from other training partners.

First of all, yuckety yuck

You’ve probably knocked the nail on the head here by saying you’re picking up infections from training partners. It sounds to me like you have a person(s) who have less than adequate personal hygiene and it is they who are spreading bacteria and fungi via warm nutrient-rich perspiration. I’d suggest you ask your teacher to have a polite word with everyone and ask them to attend to their personal hygiene and launder their training gear after every practise.

This has made me interested in making my own soap to ensure cleanliness after training.

Don’t bother. Use a chlorhexidine wash (‘Hibiscrub’) as drop bear suggested. Ordinary soap has no particular antimicrobial properties, in fact damp soap bars left by sinks are a breeding ground for microbes. Soaps work by their emulsifying properties and friction of ones hands rubbing/removing oils and surface dirt which harbour microbes.

‘Hibiscrub’ does the same but is actually bactericidal, destroys viruses and spores. It’s what we use when scrubbing up for aseptic procedures in hospital. Also small amounts remain on the skin after rinsing and continues doing it’s job. For even more intense cleansing you might consider using Povidone iodine solutions (used to scrub-up before surgery) occasionally to remove microbial build up. It’s the browny/yellow stuff you see surgeons scrubbing their hands and arms with.

I substitute my usual daily shower gels with ‘Hibiscrub’ once per week just to keep skin microbial populations down.

Any comments about how you keep up your post training hygiene or if you have faced similar problems would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

We are rarely taught how to shower properly as children (I know the British army teaches proper showering to new recruits) so you might want to look that up too just in case you’re doing something like randomly cleansing areas of your body rather than a systematic ‘top-to-bottom’ regîme.

Good luck.

 

[Ivan]

Hey guys, I'm from Melbourne Australia and I've been training mixed martial arts for about 2 years and am absolutely obsessed with the sport. However, over the duration of my training I have been the recipient to multiple staph infections and ringworm infections. I am strict about my hygiene making sure i shower straight after training although ive noticed for my skin at least, general soaps and gels struggle to battle against infections picked up on the mats and from other training partners.

This has made me interested in making my own soap to ensure cleanliness after training. I just wanted to see if you guys face similiar issues and what are your preferences of soaps to use post training whether that be what brand, gel or bars of soap. I am aware of soaps such as defense soap which has a good reputation for this type of thing.

Any comments about how you keep up your post training hygiene or if you have faced similar problems would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

I carry a pack of antibacterial wipes with me and a small towel. After a session I wipe down all of the sweat I can, and then wipe as much of my body with the wipes. This is really good in case I can’t go home immediately after to shower or there are no showers available at the gym. If I can, I go home and shower immediately and leave my kit out to dry before putting it into the dirty laundry or washing machine.

In the shower I use a soap bar and lather my whole body, and I let it sit for a minute or so before washing it off. I make sure my nails are trimmed twice weekly, shave every few days and disinfect it with cologne or aftershave. I think investing into jiujitsu specific soap isn’t a bad idea. Some people will say “all soap is antifungal” or whatever, but I am just much more comfortable spending the extra quid or two to buy Armbar Soap and know I am safe.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

Hey guys, I'm from Melbourne Australia and I've been training mixed martial arts for about 2 years and am absolutely obsessed with the sport. However, over the duration of my training I have been the recipient to multiple staph infections and ringworm infections. I am strict about my hygiene making sure i shower straight after training although ive noticed for my skin at least, general soaps and gels struggle to battle against infections picked up on the mats and from other training partners.

This has made me interested in making my own soap to ensure cleanliness after training. I just wanted to see if you guys face similiar issues and what are your preferences of soaps to use post training whether that be what brand, gel or bars of soap. I am aware of soaps such as defense soap which has a good reputation for this type of thing.

Any comments about how you keep up your post training hygiene or if you have faced similar problems would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

I've been training in the same small dojo on the same foam mats in my bare feet for something close to 18 years now. Never had a single issue. Of course, we do clean the mats after working out.

 

[Gyakuto]

I've been training in the same small dojo on the same foam mats in my bare feet for something close to 18 years now. Never had a single issue. Of course, we do clean the mats after working out.

Oh it’s not a real question! It’s one of those ‘bots’. Look at the number of messages ‘it’ posted. In the future, I won’t post a comment unless there are about 20-30 posts from the questioner.