Weightlifting and Acne

So I’ve been researching some and so far I can’t really find any solid evidence that there is a link between the two. I’ve been reading that weightlifting will deplete vitamin B in body causing acne. I also read that weightlifting raises the amount of hormones and testosterone being produced in the body causing more oil to be produced and causing acne especially if you already have acne prone skin.  This is what I think it could be because when I’m weightlifting my skin feels gross like it’s almost slimy in a way from the dead skin, oil, and sweat all on my face. I also researched if supplements like protein powder, creatine, etc. could cause acne, and again there was no direct link that could connect them to acne. There are people who say that the ingredients in some of these supplements could make you breakout, while others say that they don’t notice any changes to their skin when they take these supps.

I think that it all relates back to the blog about food and acne, and that everyone has their limit of what kinds of foods and how much of them they can eat before breaking out (here is the link to that blog if you’ve not read it: http://blog.pimpleplanet.com/2010/05/healthy-diet-and-acne.html). I for one notice that when I was taking a creatine mixture for the first time I was breaking out like crazy, and not only were they just pimples; they were big, inflamed, and embedded pimples that hurt like crazy! I then looked at the ingredients of the powder and it was full of huge amounts of sugar, caffeine, and tons of other things that I’m sure are horrible for your skin if you have acne! So I moved to just plain creatine monohydrate, which is just straight creatine powder and nothing else, and the breakouts subsided a little, but I was still getting some big under-the-skin pimples often.

I found this article from:

http://ezinearticles.com/?A-Bodybuilders-Guide-To-Preventing-Acne&id=809403
 It made me feel a little better and let me know that I'm not alone...
"Many bodybuilders suffer from acne. Whether it's due to age, high testosterone levels, the hours of sweating at the gym, or cycling, it's a reality of the sport. The body reacts to androgens and acne is the result. (HCG and Clomid are big offenders.)

Since the purpose of bodybuilding is to make the body look bigger, leaner, and BETTER, a case of bad acne can detract tremendously from a physique. Here are a few techniques that can be used to help stop the pimples from raining on your parade.

- Take frequent showers

- Tan one to two times per week

- Change your shirt frequently - even during long workouts or before engaging in cardio

- Hot shower and Clearasil Soap Scrub immediately after training

- Wash bed sheets once per week

- Locate a DHT (Dihydrotestoreone) blocker or more scientifically called a 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor; a natural and well affordable one would be Saw Palmetto, which would also protect your prostate as well...and the more pharmaceutical ones such as Dutasteride- more potent with attendant side effects

- Accutane - a popular mainstream product to look into

- Drink 8 to 16 cups of water per day

- Use lava soap on broken out skin

- Avoid picking at any pimples - the oil on your finger leads to more breakouts.

- Sometimes acne is actually ingrown hairs. An unpleasant but necessary step might be popping them and removing the hair with tweezers.

While it is never a fun or "sexy" discussion, acne affects everyone from teenage newbies to the iron game, all the way up to top professional bodybuilders. Since our skin is effectively the "wrapping paper" for the muscles which make up a great physique, it's imperative that we work as hard on making the skin look good, as we do on the muscles beneath."

So even though I’m positive that weightlifting and the protein powder that I take are one of the causes of my acne I still do it because I love weightlifting that much! It’s like a trade-off that I’m happy to make, and I won’t give it up for anything.

Have you had any of the same problems or experiences? If so let me know because we could just be able to pin-point exactly what it is!

Have a good one!

-Jpc

Exercise and Acne

I work out every other day and switch between lifting weights on one day and doing high intensity training/cardio the other day, and so on. One thing I tend to notice though is that on the days that I lift weights my skin tends to breakout a little either that night or the next morning. On days that I do cardio or high intensity training (Doing multiple exercises without rest or any time between which makes you sweat like a beast!) My face feels good really good, clean, and radiant and I don’t breakout like on a day that I would lift weights. Why this is I don’t know, but on the days that I do HIT/cardio it really does feel like all of the sweat and heat coming from my face cleanses my pores really well. On days that I lift weights I don’t sweat as much by I still sweat a good amount, but my face will feel gross afterwards and it feels like my pores are clogged and I can feel that I’m going to breakout. I’m going to look further into this and see if there is anything in relation to acne and weightlifting, but until then read this article that I got from: http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/2-13-2006-88755.asp


Daily exercise can be extremely beneficial to your overall skin health and can also help clear it of acne too.
Regular exercise increases the flow of blood and oxygen to the skin cells. When you sweat, your body expels toxins through the skin with ease from the opened pores. Sweating effectively cleans the pores from dirt, dead skin cells and excess sebum.

When you exercise, your kidneys and liver work more effectively in removing toxins from the body. Stress is also reduced from exercise and both of these are known causes of acne.

It is a good idea after exercising to take a shower. This washes away the sweat and any other waste material ejected from the body. It also prevents the growth of bacteria which is attracted to sweat.

After exercise be sure to drink plenty of water. Water is essential for ridding the body of toxins and to replace all the water lost from sweating. Acne has been shown to occur in people who aren't drinking enough water.

Almost all exercises are great and the more you sweat the better. Walking, jogging, cycling, swimming and team sports are all suitable. If you can, try to exercise outdoors in the fresh air and sunshine.

Swimming is excellent due to being in water which helps to fully cleanse the pores. It is important to rinse yourself after swimming to clean off the chlorine on your body which can leave your skin really dry.

One of the best exercises for acne is using a mini-trampoline. Jumping on a mini-tramp is beneficial for your lymphatic system. Your lymph is controlled by movement and operates best when exercising.
The lymph provides the cells with the nutrients it needs and is also responsible for removing and eliminating cell waste and toxins. If the lymph is insufficiently activated, the cells swim in their own waste which can block pores and when bacteria starts to grow in blocked pores it causes acne.
It has been reported that rebounding can increase the flow of your lymph by up to 30 times. It has also been stated that rebounding is possibly the best exercise ever invented because it has so many benefits.

Not only does exercise benefit the skin, it also has emotional and mental benefits. It is good for stress relief as stated earlier but also good for keeping the mind focused and active. Apart from exercise, proper sleep and relaxation are also good for reducing stress.