[Orion]

I wasn't sure if I should post this here or in the nutrition/supplement forum but oh well:

I seem to have pretty bad luck catching things at the gym despite having a good immune system. My question is how do most people avoid catching bugs going around and what not when rolling around with other sweaty human beings as a hobby?

My first day back at the gym last year I ended up catching staph AND H.pylori. What luck! It doesn't help that my gym is 45 minutes away from my house to where I can shower.

I'm going to start supplementing with natural herbs like garlic, astragalus, olive leaf extract, ginger root etc. to try and help keep all the garbage going around away.

So in summary, what precautions does everyone use here to avoid viral, bacterial, fungal, and parasite infections?

[Chinaboxer]

wear rashguards under your gi. if you do nogi then wear long sleeve rashguards and gi bottoms. immediately after training, i wash my head, face, hands with antibaterial soap.

Soon as i get home, first thing i do is shower with antibacterial soap.

bacteria isn't a problem until it gets into open wounds or cuts or into your ears and nose.

[BrokenCouch]

i haven't caught anything yet, but the biggest thing i focus on is cleaning and protecting cuts, especially on my feet. open cuts are the easiest way to catch staph and get infections.

after i roll, i pretty much hose my body down with anti-bacterial soap. they do make kinds that don't make your skin super dry.

feet wise, i avoid wearing socks/shoes whenever possible. naturally can't avoid it when you go to work or out to a bar or something, but if i'm gonna walk to the grocery store or go to class i wear sandals to give it air and keep them dry.

aside from that, only other thing i can think of is to keep your immune system healthy and strong. i'm not a doctor or anything, it is just basic stuff i do to try to avoid catching stuff you've mentioned. i'm sure there are others who have much more effective methods

[SFinclined]

I've caught ringworm, but have been lucky otherwise. I use Safeguard soap as soon as I get home. You need to wash as soon as you can after training. I know some guys use Defense Soap http://www.defensesoap.com/, it's kinda expensive but it's a anti-viral and anti-bacterial.

[wildman1717]

Good link, I might check out that soap myself.

[Orion]

Originally Posted by SFinclined

I've caught ringworm, but have been lucky otherwise. I use Safeguard soap as soon as I get home. You need to wash as soon as you can after training. I know some guys use Defense Soap http://www.defensesoap.com/, it's kinda expensive but it's a anti-viral and anti-bacterial.

Thanks, I'll definitely look into buying some of that soap. Shelling out a few bucks for some soap is definitely better than suffering from any illness.

[EternalRag3]

hibiclens

[Orion]

Originally Posted by EternalRag3

hibiclens

They use that in hospitals, no? I'll have to look into that along with the defense soap.

[moxsum]

I too have had bad luck.. so far ive got a plantars wart, molluscum contagiosum rash on my arm which lasted for almost a year, ring worm, eczema, and now some weird rash on my knee. But ive gotten it all treated with the help of a good dermatologist.

Ive learned my lessons the hard way..

Always wash your GI after every class.

Wear a long sleeve rash guard every time you roll.

Before class, inspect yourself for any open cuts/wounds. Clean them and cover them completely before training. Note: when training, you will be sweating so make sure the bandage is on firmly.

Shower immediately after class, preferably with some anti-bacterial soap. (www.defensesoap.com) and clean/disinfect/cover any new cuts/wounds you may have obtained.

Try not to roll with someone who has a rash or something weird on their skin, also avoid people who do not wash there GI's every-time.

Lastly, even when taking these precautions you may still have something crop up, make sure you have the number of a good dermatologist ready. If you see something that looks a bit weird, get it checked out early, it will avoid a lot of hassle in the end, believe me.

[moxsum]

Also, if you are in a No Gi class, just wear Gi pants or some other pants instead of shorts, that way there is less skin exposed to the mats.