The 5 Skin Infections That Spread on the Mats (and How to Spot Them Early)

Mat Health · Know the Signs

Catch it on day one and you miss a few sessions. Miss it and you can take out half your gym. Here's what to look for, according to the research.

Team Resurge · Sources linked at the bottom of the page

Across US high school sport, wrestlers account for nearly three-quarters of all time-loss skin infections[1], and direct skin-to-skin contact is the most common way outbreaks spread in sport[2]. BJJ, judo and MMA share the same risks.

Most of these infections are easy to deal with if they're caught early. Here's your field guide.

1Staph and MRSA

What it looks like: a red, swollen, painful bump that's often mistaken for a spider bite or ingrown hair. It can become a boil or abscess with pus, and the skin around it feels warm.

Why grapplers get it: Staphylococcus aureus gets in through broken skin. In one college team outbreak, players with abrasions had 7.2× the risk of MRSA infection, and those who shaved their body had 6.1× the risk. Two players were hospitalised[3].

Do this: Don't squeeze it. Cover it and see a doctor quickly, especially if it's growing, very painful or you feel unwell. MRSA needs the right treatment.

2Ringworm (tinea gladiatorum)

What it looks like: a round or oval patch with a red, scaly, slightly raised edge and a clearer centre. It's usually itchy and most common on the head, neck, arms and trunk.

Why grapplers get it: it isn't a worm. It's a fungus, almost always Trichophyton tonsurans, which was behind 94.5% of confirmed cases in a study of 4,240 contact athletes[4]. Across published studies, prevalence in wrestling teams has ranged from 2.4% to 100%[5].

Do this: Don't roll with it. Get it confirmed and treated, and wash everything it's touched. Scalp ringworm usually needs prescription treatment.

3Herpes gladiatorum (“mat herpes”)

34% of the 175 wrestlers at a four-week training camp were infected with herpes gladiatorum in a single outbreak.Belongia et al., N Engl J Med, 1991

What it looks like: clusters of small fluid-filled blisters on red skin, most often on the face, neck and head. It's sometimes preceded by tingling, fever, sore throat or swollen glands.

Why grapplers get it: it's caused by the cold-sore virus (HSV-1) and spreads by direct skin contact. In the camp outbreak above, 73% of lesions were on the head[6].

Do this: Stop training immediately and see a doctor. It can affect the eyes. If you've had it or get cold sores, ask your doctor about preventive options before camps and comps. One 10-year camp study found preventive antivirals cut outbreaks by about 85-90%[7].

4Impetigo

What it looks like: red sores that burst and form a honey-coloured crust, often around the nose, mouth or on the forearms.

Why grapplers get it: it's a superficial bacterial infection (staph or strep) that loves scratched, broken skin and spreads easily through contact and shared towels. Bacterial infections made up 60.6% of time-loss skin infections in US high school athletes[1].

Do this: See a doctor, keep it covered and off the mats until you're cleared, and don't share towels.

5Pitted keratolysis (the “smelly feet” one)

What it looks like: tiny crater-like pits on the soles of the feet, usually with a strong odour and sweaty feet. It's often mistaken for athlete's foot or warts.

Why grapplers get it: bacteria that thrive on sweaty, moist soles. Dermatologists have documented it in a martial artist who trained barefoot on tatami for long periods, and noted that mats can spread infection when hygiene slips[8].

Do this: Keep your feet dry, wear footwear off the mat, wash and dry your feet after training, and see a doctor or pharmacist for treatment.

The daily 60-second skin check

The National Athletic Trainers' Association recommends regular skin checks, prompt showering, washing gear after every use, and never sharing towels or razors[9]. Build it into your routine:

  • After every session: shower with soap, or at least clean your skin, before you get in the car.
  • Look: check the face, neck, forearms, knees and feet for anything new.
  • Treat scrapes like kit damage: clean them, look after them and cover them.
  • If in doubt, sit it out. One session missed beats a gym outbreak.
Resurge GUARD Daily Defence Spray

GUARD Daily Defence Spray

Your post-roll hygiene step for when the shower's a car ride away. It's a non-medicated botanical spray (totarol, thymol, nisin, lemon myrtle, bergamot) that dries fast with no grease.

See GUARD Daily Defence Spray →
Resurge STRIKE Skin Recovery Gel

STRIKE Skin Recovery Gel

For mat burn, scrapes and irritated spots. A cooling, non-greasy gel with shikonin, dragon's blood, aloe and jojoba that sits happily under tape.

See STRIKE Skin Recovery Gel →
Build your routine with the Combat Kit

GUARD + STRIKE together. Fits in any gym bag.

This article is general education, not medical advice. GUARD and STRIKE are non-medicated personal hygiene products. They are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, and they don't replace medical care. If you have a spreading, painful, hot or pus-filled lesion, a blistering rash, or a fever, stop training and see a doctor.

Sources

  1. Ashack KA, et al. Skin infections among US high school athletes: a national survey. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2016;74(4):679-84. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2015.10.042
  2. Turbeville SD, Cowan LD, Greenfield RA. Infectious disease outbreaks in competitive sports: a review of the literature. Am J Sports Med. 2006;34(11):1860-5. https://doi.org/10.1177/0363546505285385
  3. Begier EM, et al. A high-morbidity outbreak of MRSA among players on a college football team, facilitated by cosmetic body shaving and turf burns. Clin Infect Dis. 2004;39(10):1446-53. https://doi.org/10.1086/425313
  4. Kermani F, et al. Molecular epidemiology of tinea gladiatorum in contact sports in northern Iran. Mycoses. 2020;63(5):509-16. https://doi.org/10.1111/myc.13069
  5. Zalewski A, Goldust M, Szepietowski JC. Tinea gladiatorum: epidemiology, clinical aspects, and management. J Clin Med. 2022;11(14):4066. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm11144066
  6. Belongia EA, et al. An outbreak of herpes gladiatorum at a high-school wrestling camp. N Engl J Med. 1991;325(13):906-10. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJM199109263251302
  7. Anderson BJ, et al. Prophylactic valacyclovir to prevent outbreaks of primary herpes gladiatorum at a 28-day wrestling camp: a 10-year review. Clin J Sport Med. 2016;26(4):272-8. https://doi.org/10.1097/JSM.0000000000000255
  8. Balić A, et al. Tatami mats: a source of pitted keratolysis in a martial arts athlete? Acta Dermatovenerol Croat. 2018;26(1):68-70. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29782305/
  9. Zinder SM, et al. National Athletic Trainers' Association position statement: skin diseases. J Athl Train. 2010;45(4):411-28. https://doi.org/10.4085/1062-6050-45.4.411