Hygiene Tips for Athletes

My body is everything! True for an athlete, isn’t it?

Athletes endeavor hard to keep their bodies physically fit and sturdy. They follow a rigorous routine and use physical exercise as a medium for self-development. Their body is ready, and mind-focused when they see their goal on a running track.

While they maintain their physical health, they are at an increased risk of infections. They are in close proximity with other athletes during practice or while on the field. They also come in contact with their trainers or coaches, other members of the sports facility, and the audience. The use of locker rooms, restrooms, changing rooms, towels, bottles, or any other high-contact surfaces is also very common for a runner. Such exposures increase the risk of infections and other illnesses for our marathoners. The infections also spread through perspiration or when a person touches their eyes or face and subsequently another surface like switches, doorknobs, etc. These vulnerabilities have always existed, but the spread of COVID-19 made us actually realize the dreadful impact of the same. The extent of a viral infection can lead to the shutting down of the entire world. Sports were equally impacted, resulting in the confinement of our field runners to an enclosed room.

The show must go on!

No one would want a repeat of the situation. Hence, it becomes essential to put in every effort for a safe run to happen. This brings us to the necessity of sanitization and disinfection for athletes. Effective disinfection carries the power of killing microorganisms.

A keen eye is required to ensure the disinfection of each and every surface, starting from a doorknob to the entire area an athlete might cover. The disinfection should always follow prior thorough cleaning and sanitization. It would be good to use a no-rinse disinfectant for it to be more effective. Furthermore, as per the EPA, most disinfectants require a contact time of 10 minutes to be effective. 

It is equally important for a runner to sanitize themselves personally. They need to sanitize their hands, masks, and even shoes frequently. As we say, it is vital for athletes to keep themselves hydrated; it is also crucial for them to keep themselves sanitized.

Taking these few measures would allow the runners to enjoy their much-awaited run.

Avani Raj Arora