BE honest, how often do you slap on sunscreen before you train? According to statistics from a major new campaign that aims to raise awareness of skin cancer among athletes, the likelihood is not often enough. All forms of skin cancer are on the rise in the UK. Protecting skin with high-factor sun creams even on the relatively dull days of a British summer, right through to at least the end of September, can render the disease more preventable. Yet sun-worshippers aren’t the only ones to flout basic sun sense rules – athletes are notoriously bad at covering up.
Study: 40% of athletes fail to apply sunscreen for training
Last summer, a survey by the Sun Safety Code, a campaign backed by more than 80 sports governing bodies including England Athletics, revealed that 40% of young athletes still turn up for sessions without any sun protection whatsoever. It’s a habit, says Dr Bav Shergill, a spokesperson for the British Association of Dermatologists, that predisposes them to skin cancer in later life. “It’s a gross misconception that sunbathing is the biggest risk,” Dr Shergill says.