Chafing and Running
Chafing in the sport of running can be one of those things, if not taken care of, that can slow you down considerably during a race. Here are some helpful tips about chafing.
Symptoms
The symptoms of chafing are painful stinging and burning sensations where chafing has occurred. The area where chafing occurs is usually red or raw
Causes of Chafing.
Chafing is caused by repeated motion of skin rubbing against clothing or skin rubbing against skin. Sweat or wet clothes can increase the chances of chafing.
Preventing Chafing
During long runs to prevent chafing apply Bodyglide, Vaseline, or Bag Balm (more on this later) to areas where you may potentially have chafing. Wearing running clothes made of synthetic materials that wicks away moisture from the skin can help with prevention. Cotton clothing holds in moisture which can be a major cause of chafing. Wearing snug (not tight) synthetic running clothes can also be a preventive measure for chafing as opposed to wearing loose fitting clothes that can rub against your skin.
Bag Balm
I have used Bag Balm in most of my ultra marathons and have found that it works better than the traditional products that are out there for runners. Originally Bag Balm was developed as an ointment to soothe irritated cow utters and is officially meant to be used on animals. I have used it extensively and have had no side effects. I can only say good things about it. If chafing is a problem for you and other methods do not seem to work, I would recommend using Bag Balm.
I use bag balm on my horses, and on my lips (as a shiny chap stick) I never gave it a thought to use it for chafing.
Bag Balm works better than anything else I’ve used for chafing. I’ve never thought about using it on my lips though. I’ll have to give that a try next time I have really bad chapped lips.
Chafing is a huge issue down here in Texas. What works best for a lot of us is to wear longer compression type shorts, kind of like bicycle shorts, for inner thigh chafing.