Issue 176
If you’re serious about training, sooner or later you’ll have to deal with infection. Fortunately, it’s never been easier to avoid fighting dirty.
In September 2007, Kevin Randleman was training at Xtreme Couture, planning his comeback after a kneebar loss to ‘Shogun’ Rua.
Training with the likes of Shawn Tompkins and Alex Shoenaur was taking its toll, but Randleman, a former running back and two-time NCAA Division 1 champion, wasn’t used to complaining about hard work. Even when he noticed a minor injury around his right armpit, he was fairly unconcerned. “I was taking a lot of knees and shots to the right side in the ribs,” Randleman recalled.
“It was small and minor... It started as a small contusion but it started to grow and you know how bad it can be when a contusion or blister can start to grow.” This was worse. Within days, ‘The Monster’ was in hospital with his lungs and kidneys failing. The hole in his armpit grew so much that when he was eventually released from hospital – after three weeks in critical condition – his girlfriend had to pack it with four yards of medical gauze. “I went from a healthy guy to a septic, infectious guy,” explains Randleman. “The doctors said if I hadn’t been so strong it would have killed me.”
Thankfully, staphylococcus aures – more commonly known as staph – isn’t always this serious, but it is a very real problem among MMA athletes. At best it’ll manifest itself in severely impaired performance – Nogueira fans will remember the former Pride champion looking like a shadow of his usual titanium-jawed self in a knockout loss to Frank Mir, shortly before admitting that he’d been suffering from the virus.
At worst it can result in temporary paralysis, as in the case of former WEC featherweight champ Cole Escovedo or death.
And even if you aren’t a professional fighter, you need to be aware of the risks. “The problem for martial artists is that they spend a lot of time in changing rooms or in close proximity, and sweat is a great environment for any bacteria to breed in,” explains Dr Stuart Flanagan, an expert on skin conditions.
“Staph’s what we call a ‘natural flora’ and the body’s constantly dealing with them, usually without any trouble. But some strains – like the one you’ve probably heard referred to as MRSA – can cause problems.”
SELF DEFENSE
The first line of defense? Keep your kit in order. “The main thing is to keep your gear washed,” says Flanagan. “Don’t just leave it at the bottom of your bag to breed bacteria.” It also helps to train somewhere that takes hygeine seriously.
“Approaching the owner of a gym and asking him about the process he uses to clean the mats might make you out to sound like an a**hole,” notes UFC light heavyweight Forrest Griffin, whose bout against Lyoto Machida at UFC 70 was cancelled after he came down with a nasty case of the virus, “but it’s better than hoping for the best and ending up with a mat-born disease. Wrestling mats should be cleaned twice daily with disinfectant cleaner, two hours before every grappling session.
For the best results, you want to use one part bleach to every hundred parts water.” And, of course, once you’ve taken care of the mats and your gear, you also want to look after your skin.
“An anti-microbial wash will take care of a lot of infections before they have the chance to turn into something nasty,” advises Flanagan.
EARLY BATH
If you think you might have caught something, it’s possible you can head it off early. If you’re feeling run-down in training, check your skin rather than just attributing it to going too hard in practice.
“Early symptoms of staph are redness on the skin, pimples and pustules,” says Flanagan. “Hair follicles can get infected easily, so look out for them.” It can be tricky to differentiate between the gi rash or mat burn you get while grappling and something less pleasant, but it’s worth taking the time to check.
If you notice something nasty, you might be able to deal with it yourself. Antibacterial creams are available from pharmacists, and will deal with most infections. If you leave an infection unchecked, though, or insist on sparring with exposed injuries, things can go wrong quickly.
“Staph contracted through a cut can be nasty,” says Flanagan, “If things go too far you’ll need to go to a doctor, where they’ll typically prescribe you a steroid along with an antifungal cream. The steroid should reduce inflammation while the antifungal cream will kill it.”
Antifungal soap will also reduce your chances of getting ringworm or related ailments like athletes’ foot.
“This will manifest itself as red, flaky, or itchy skin,” says Flanagan, “It’ll commonly turn up around your torso, arms and back, but it can proliferate anywhere moist including around your toes and groin.” Ouch.
Ultimately, prevention’s better than cure, and a couple of minutes’ scrub at the end of your training session’s better than weeks out on a course of antibiotics, so it’s well worth investing in a couple of products that are tailor-made to protect you from gym nasties.
And it’s certainly better than dropping a fight through fatigue or ending up with a hole in your armpit. Just ask Kevin Randleman.
CLEANING UP
Kit that’ll keep you free of unpleasant microscopic training ‘partners.’
1) Athletic Body Care Antifungal Treatment
Designed to treat athletes’ foot and ringworm, while relieving the itchiness that comes with both conditions.
2) Kenclean Plus Disinfectant
Specifically designed to clean wrestling mats, the soles of wrestling boots, headgear and gloves. Two ounces make a gallon of cleaner, so it’ll keep you going for a while.
3) Hayabusa Rash Guard
Several rash guards in Hayabusa’s range come with built-in antimicrobial coating designed to inhibit the growth of bacteria.
HELLO NASTY
The most common bugs to look out for in the gym
1: Ringworm
Not actually a worm. Instead, it’s a disease caused by a fungus that will create a rough, reddened patch of the skin that’s hard in the centre and looks a bit like it’s been caused by worms. Transmitted by skin-to-skin contact, it’ll sometimes go away on its own but usually requires medical attention.
2: Staph
Fine when it’s on your skin, less fine when pockets of pus are exploding and spreading infection across your body, and serious cause for concern if it gets into your bloodstream where it can affect the function of your lungs, kidneys, brain and heart. If you suspect you’ve got it, go to the doctor.
3: Impetigo
Available in two flavors. ‘Bullous’ appears as a itchy lump on the skin filled with clear fluid, while ‘epidemic’ looks similar but will be surrounded by a red ring. Both can be easily cured with antibiotics, but can lead to more serious diseases if left unchecked.
4: Herpes
Not to be confused with the pornstar affliction, herpes gladiatorum – also known as wrestlers’ pox – is very common among wrestlers and rugby players, since it’s easily transmitted via skin-on-skin contact.
Identified via small bumps that quickly turn into fluid-filled blisters, it can even be passed on when a carrier is in remission (where the disease is absent yet could return). It can’t be fully cured, but antibiotics will deal with outbreaks quickly.
5: Scabies
Caused by tiny female mites that lay eggs under the skin – eggs which, in turn, create more mating mites. The main symptom is itchiness which is an adverse reaction to the mites’ faeces. Scratching might deal with it, but you’d be better off talking to a doctor.
HAVE A GOOD, CLEAN FIGHT
How to keep yourself healthy in – and out of – the gym.
1) Pre-Training
> Make sure your nails are trimmed. Cuts and grazes from errant talons spread infection, and nobody likes to look like they’ve been in a catfight after training.
> Cover any cuts or abrasions on your skins with a plaster/band-aid.
> Give yourself a quick once-over in the mirror. You don’t want to be the cause of a gym outbreak.
2) On The Mat
> Wear flip-flops to walk between the changing room and the gym – ringworm and athletes’ foot are closely related. And, obviously, keep your outdoor shoes off the mats.
> Wear a rash guard. There’s evidence that even polyester is abrasive enough to cause small cuts in the skin that can help herpes spread.
3) Post-Training
> Shower as soon as possible.
> Throw your kit in the wash before any bacteria on it has a chance to breed.
> Disinfect kit that can’t be washed – boxing gloves and groin guards, for instance – with disinfectant spray. You don’t need to do this after every session, but do it regularly.
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