sports
Pain and skin irritation due to friction from cycling shorts while cycling is a phenomenon that is very common among cyclists.
Also other sports men suffer from the consequences of long lasting friction. The combination of pain and skin irritation affects significantly the performance. If this pain can be prevented, performance is bound to increase. Not only that, the pleasure of simply riding will increase too.
When surfaces in contact( f.e. surface and human skin ) move relative to each other, the friction between the two surfaces converts kinetic energy into heat. This heat leads to degradation of the different epidermal layers. The skin becomes warm and irritated and soon a blister or superficial burn will appear. Friction wounds are frequently seen among persons doing intensive sport activities such as running, skiing, cycling, ….
Moist is another very important cause of major skin irritation. Especially cyclists often have skin irritation in their folds ( intertrigor ) such as in the perineum area, the groin, etc. In many cases, this kind of skin irritation is badly managed and will become infected ( candida ).
How to minimize the risk of skin lesions?