2023-08-10 08:21:12
If golf is a very popular outdoor sport, a study reveals that it would be very dangerous for our skin.
When the fine weather returns, many athletes leave the halls to unwind in the great outdoors. Running, tennis, football or water sports are very popular in summer. If the practice of a sport is always encouraged, it should not be harmful to the body. However, outdoor sport can lead to prolonged exposure to the sun.
In fact, the appearance of melanomas and carcinomas can be an undesirable side effect without good sun protection. And in this area, a study recently singled out one sport in particular. Indeed, golf would double the risk of skin cancer. Yet these risks might be easily avoided.
More than a quarter of golfers surveyed are victims of skin cancer
As part of this study, researchers closely followed a panel of Australian golfers. They studied both the benefits of sport for the body but also the dangers of the latter for the skin. By analyzing the information given by the athletes, they discovered that 27% of them suffered from this disease. The study in question was published in the specialist journal BMJ Open Sport & Exercice Medecine.
For Dr. Brad Stenner, principal investigator of this study, this significant increase in risk is justified. In a statement, he recalled that “ golfers tend to play for four or more hours in the sun“. However, the latter do not always have the reflex to take sunscreen or something to cover themselves with.
Despite this major flaw, the researcher specifies that Golf is a very healthy sport. If the players walk all the way, they work on their endurance and muscle tone. Being outdoors is also beneficial for their well-being.
How to play golf while reducing the risks?
If golf can be played all year round, it’s on sunny days it is most dangerous. And the sun would be harmful for one out of 4 golfers compared to 7% of non-golfers. In fact, protecting the skin from the sun (especially that of children practicing this sport) is essential.
Before starting on the course, it is recommended to apply on the face, hands, arms and possibly the calves of sunscreen with high protection. To cover the skin, players can wear suitable gloves or arm warmers. Wearing a wide-brimmed hat is also recommended to keep the face and neck in the shade.
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