What Causes Skin Itchiness While Working Out?

People who workout will start to become warmer and even sweat at some point while exercising. Sweat starts when the body’s heat becomes too much to handle. And once you start sweating, your body starts to cool down. Some also have a sort of skin irritation during the heat accumulation period, which is often accompanied by itchiness. Why? Well, in most cases, there is nothing to worry about as itching while exercising is not harmful, regardless that it is an annoying thing. With simple precautions, you can avoid or reduce this itching and a burning sensation of the skin. But, you should be careful of exceptions when this is related to a serious health condition.

Why Do I Itch When I Workout?

The most common reasons why you itch while working out are dry skin, dry weather, and low humidity. This is a problem that usually occurs during the winter months. However, a good thing is that this is the easiest problem to treat using a good skin moisturizer before working out. Everyday skin moisturizing is a must as well.

Another common reason for skin irritation, itchiness and a burning sensation of the skin is the allergic reaction to different products such as soaps, lotions, detergents, etc. If this occurs after trying a new product, you simply need to avoid using this product in the future and switch to something else. If there is more than one product that you are suspecting to be the cause, just start eliminating one by one until you find out which is the one that is irritating your skin and causing the allergy. If even after switching or not using the products you have been using so far, you are still having problems with skin irritation, itchiness and a burning sensation of the skin than there might be an internal problem.

Why do I itch when I workout? According to a recent theory, the itchiness due to workout is caused by histamines and their release in the body during physical exercise. Histamines have a vasodilator effect, expanding the blood vessels throughout the body, which might be felt as a skin irritation due to the irritation of the nervous system. However, further research is needed to completely explain this theory. Antihistaminic medications are sometimes prescribed for athletes in order to relieve this skin itchiness. Also, there is possible to start experiencing this discomfort if you are new to exercise or if you have suddenly changed and increased your working out routine. As your body starts to adjust, there is a great likelihood that these symptoms will resolve. Unless the itching is severe, you should wait a couple of weeks and look for any change while working out.

Why do I itch when I workout? The fitness level is another factor that can contribute to skin irritation and itchiness while working out. With regular physical exercise, the human body starts adapting. The circulatory system adjusts as the blood vessels start dilating throughout the body to be able to handle all the blood volume that is circulating. Normally with physical exercise, the heart starts beating faster and the blood starts circulating more throughout the body making the blood vessels more elastic and flexible as well. In order to cool down, the body starts pointing the blood toward the skin, especially in the skin of the lower and upper extremities. If you have just started exercising and your body is not yet used to this physical activity, it is more likely to have an itching sensation on the skin, especially on the legs. However, this is a problem that can occur even to those who exercise regularly, including athletes.

Fungal infections or yeast infections are another reason for skin irritation and itchiness during a workout. In men, the most common cause of irritation and itchiness in the groin area is the tinea cruris, also known as the jock itch. This can be quite annoying. Athlete’s foot is another problem caused by a fungal infection in the feat. An infection with Candida is the most common type of fungal infections of the skin which tends to occur in warm and moist areas such as in the groin, armpit, or even under the breasts. As you workout and the body temperature starts rising, the Candida can lead to skin itchiness.

Urticaria is the presence of red and itchy hives on the body. It can be triggered by extreme temperatures and sweating. The symptoms of urticaria can be reduced if you exercise in a cooler place.

Some Serious Causes for Itching While Exercising

Why do I itch when I workout? Serious causes of skin itchiness while exercising and that should make you worry include food allergies or certain medications such as antibiotics, diuretics, pain medications.

Serious symptoms that you should look for are those of a serious allergic reaction and even anaphylaxis which include hives, severe itchiness, shortness of breath, low blood pressure, etc. In such cases, you should seek immediate medical help as anaphylaxis is a serious and life threatening medical condition.

How to Deal with Itching While Exercising

Try to calm down and stabilize your breathing. Stop running and move into a cool area. Deep breathing and muscle relaxation can help a lot. Once the breathing is regulated, drink some water. Remember that the symptoms may last even for hours once you have finished exercising. If however, the symptoms tend to be the same or even get worse then you should seek professional medical help.

Don’t start running again once the symptoms have resolved. You can walk and get back home, but don’t run as they can quickly appear again, sometimes even with an increased severity.

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