The death of Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Johnson from a recurrence of melanoma was an unfortunate reminder that while athletes, coaches, and athletic trainers may direct almost all focus to their sport, they need to remember that those long hours outdoors can put them at risk for skin cancer.
This is not a disease only of older indivduals. I was surprised to learn that melanoma is the second most common cancer diagnosed in women aged 20-29. The potential impact of this disease on young people hits very close to home here at Wake Forest as former Demon Deacon field hockey player Maria Whitehead died from the disease at the age of 25. In her memory, USA Field Hockey has partnered with the Melanoma International Foundation to create the Foundation for Sun-Safe Play and Skin Cancer Education. Mental and physical mistakes are one thing, but it is when one of her players or campers neglects to wear sunscreen that you'll really see WFU coach Jennifer Averill really go ballistic. Now if we could just get field hockey to buy into the idea of eye protection.
In an article from the American Academy of Dermatology Brian B. Adams, MD, MPH says:
“Perspiration on
the skin lowers what's called the minimal erythema dose, the lowest
ultraviolet (UV) light exposure needed to turn the skin barely
pink.”
I'm guessing that this is from some sort of refraction or magnification of the sunlight as I am not sure how sweat alone would disrupt the skin's outermost barrier, the epithelial layer.
The article also describes 2004 Olympic marathon bronze medalist Deena Kastor's battle with basal cell carcinoma and early stage melanoma.
Distance runners may be a class of athlete that is at even higher risk:
When comparing the runners with the non-runners,
researchers found that the runners had more atypical moles, age
spots, and other lesions that increase the risk of developing skin
cancer.
The reason seems to be the significant exposure during training and
competition to ultraviolet (UV) rays emitted by the sun. The
researchers also believe that endurance exercise such as distance
running suppresses the immune system. A suppressed immune system
increases the risk of developing skin cancer.
Only 56.2% of the runners in this study reported that they regularly use sunscreen.
This number towers over the 6% consistent use rate found in a 2005 study of college athletes. And I would bet the number of athletes who bother to reapply after sweating is a tiny fraction of that 6%. "Waterproof" sunscreens can hang in there for up to 30 minutes in water before losing effectiveness...athletes are usually sweating for quite a bit longer than that.
So sweat is part of the problem but could also be part of the solution - hippo sweat that is. Researchers are trying to develop products that mimic the light scattering properties of the rotund mammal's oily secretions. But wait, there's more:
"It would be nice to also try and replicate the antiseptic and
insect-repellent characteristics of the sweat, to obtain a four-in-one
product: sunscreen, sunblock, antiseptic, insect repellent," co-author
Christopher Viney told Discovery News.
And remember, athletes and coaches need to be reminded that a tan - which itself is a result of enough UV energy to damage skin DNA - does not necessarily offer protection. For example, in one small study three Ironman Triathalon participants suffered sunburn during a race despite being tan and applying SPF 35 waterproof sunscreen at the start.
And if preventing llong term health problems like cancer isn't enough, remind your athletes that they don't want to end up like former Oriole Mary Cordova who was forced by the team doctor to sit out a couple of day games because of the severe sunburns he suffered after falling asleep in a tanning bed.
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