Athletes from all sports are dedicated and keen on their diet, training, philosophy of life, and their motto. However, one of the more interesting things that high-level athletes make sure is always on point is body hair. Some people make the assumption that most athletes are naturally hairless, but that’s not true. Bodybuilders, cyclists, runners, swimmers, triathletes, and football players shave their body hair for good reasons.
Performance Benefits From Shaving:
Swimmers:
While hair does not give or take away any strength or skill, removing hair can still have a lot of benefits. Swimmers are known for smooth skin with no hair and they shave their body in order to have the most optimal performance. The main line of thought is that hair can act as a transmitter in the water which might inhibit muscle contraction, therefore the flow of the movement.
There was a study that looked at how swimmers performed with and without body hair in the American College of Sports Medicine and they found that swimmers who shaved their bodies were faster than those that did not shave. In addition to that, the breaststroke event over 400 yards showed that the athletes who shaved had a reduction in blood lactic acid, therefore, a decreased VO2 as well as longer strokes. Another factor that has to be mention is the fact that swimmers usually train with their high tech bodysuits which can grip on the hair and make their training sessions uncomfortable.
Cyclists:
One of the other well-known shavers in sports are cyclists. While there have been no studies that show any significant advantage of shaving in performance, the gears cyclists wear can make it very uncomfortable if you have body hair. First, shaving can be a great prevention method against treating road rash. Road accidents can happen more frequently than you think and treating a wound that does not have hair is much easier. One of the other reasons why cyclists shave is for recovery. Most cyclists enjoy a good massage which can help soothe the muscles after a long session and having smooth muscles can help a lot.
Runners and Football Players:
Runners and football players are also known to shave for performance and comfort. One of the big reasons is because hair can cause overheating especially if you have a big coat. Plus, performance wear is usually best worn when shaved because it can better contour the body.
Wrestlers and Boxers:
Hair can cause chaffing and irritation upon impact which can easily be avoided if you shave. Moreover, wrestlers need to have the smoothest possible skin in order to prevent the opponent from getting full contact on your skin.
Shaving and Aesthetics:
Bodybuilders:
The only reason why bodybuilders shave is that they want better aesthetics features. Bodybuilders are by definition aesthetic athletes whose sole purpose of training is to build as much muscle as possible while having the least amount of fat on their body. They typically strive for having bigger shoulders and a small waist in order to achieve that V shape.
Body hair can interfere with that look because it makes muscles less defined. However, bodybuilders find that shaving helps veins, muscle striations, and muscle groups pop up more.
How Athletes Shave:
The importance of the method of shaving is just as crucial as shaving itself. Full body shaving can also be more difficult and tricky because there are a lot of curves, bony areas, and body ridges that you have to be very careful of when shaving. The best method is wet shaving with a shaving brush because it’s the safest and easiest method. The way most athletes shave is by exfoliating the skin and then shaving with the grain to prevent any scarring or cuts. It’s important that you go with a product that has good blades and a good cream. eShave is the perfect choice because it’s a great company that can help you with shaving, grooming, and self-care. They have one of the most efficient razor sets on the market that can prevent cuts and bleeding and they also last a very long time.