Why do so many Pro Racing Cyclists now have Beards ?

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Jdsk
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Re: Why do so many Pro Racing Cyclists now have Beards ?

Post by Jdsk »

Yes, secondary reporting and no evidence of hazard to health.

And if you were serious about studying whether beards were hazardous to health it might be a good idea if the comparator was not having one rather than some other species' fur.

Jonathan
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Anthony.R.Brown
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Re: Why do so many Pro Racing Cyclists now have Beards ?

Post by Anthony.R.Brown »

Seven men were even found to harbour microbes that posed a threat to human health.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... veals.html
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Hellhound
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Re: Why do so many Pro Racing Cyclists now have Beards ?

Post by Hellhound »

So the OP can show no evidence on beards and cycle racing so he now changes the subject to hygiene and again shows no real evidence :roll:
I've had a goatee since my 20s and now in my 50s have a full beard and I am actually a lot faster on my bike now than I was 30 odd years ago :roll:
As beards are now 'in' or 'trendy' for men of all ages the range of products to keep them in good order is massive.
I wonder if the OP shaves his armpits and pubic area as I would hazard a guess they hold much more bacteria than most other areas of the body?
Anthony.R.Brown wrote: 3 Jul 2021, 1:08pm Seven men were even found to harbour microbes that posed a threat to human health.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... veals.html
The Daily Fail.Seriously :lol: :lol:
Last edited by Hellhound on 3 Jul 2021, 1:11pm, edited 1 time in total.
Jdsk
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Re: Why do so many Pro Racing Cyclists now have Beards ?

Post by Jdsk »

Anthony.R.Brown wrote: 3 Jul 2021, 1:08pm Seven men were even found to harbour microbes that posed a threat to human health.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... veals.html
Yes, secondary reporting and no evidence of hazard to health.

The presence of microorganisms that can cause disease is not a "threat to health". They're all over the place.

And how do you know that aren't more or nastier on a shaved face?

Jonathan
Jdsk
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Re: Why do so many Pro Racing Cyclists now have Beards ?

Post by Jdsk »

Hellhound wrote: 3 Jul 2021, 1:09pm So the OP can show no evidence on beards and cycle racing so he now changes the subject to hygiene and again shows no real evidence
Then there was the nonsense about the fastest animals, and about the fastest humans.

Jonathan

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Anthony.R.Brown
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Re: Why do so many Pro Racing Cyclists now have Beards ?

Post by Anthony.R.Brown »

5 Reasons beards can harbour bacteria etc. and are risky to have unless you keep it clean! ?.. which is not an easy thing to do riding a bike for hours like in the tour at the moment,(so avoid getting in the slip stream of a rider with a beard!) :)

https://www.lung.org/blog/beards-and-lung-health

Beards are a hot trend that have a long-standing reputation for keeping you warm during the cold winter months. But that's not all. There are several claims online and in the media that beards are healthy and others that they are not. So what's a guy to do? That's why we've turned to a lung health expert to take a look at claims surrounding beards and lung health.

American Lung Association Senior Medical Advisor Dr. Albert Rizzo takes a look at common claims about beards and lung health and tells it to us straight: are beards healthy or harmful?

Claim #1: A beard can keep you warm in winter.
A beard may keep more warmth on the skin, so the facial temperature may be helped by that, but overall won't have a tremendous effect on body warmth. And for those with asthma who need to protect their airway from cold air, a beard just won't do that. So wearing a scarf is certainly better than even a bushy beard.

Claim #2: A beard can ward off throat disease.
The hairs that grow in the nostrils were designed by nature to guard the lungs from the invasion of airborne bacteria and particles. If we have additional hair like a beard to filter what we breathe it adds to this protective nature. It may be a good reason to have the beard as it serves as another barrier to protect the airways and lungs. However, whatever the beard has trapped, whether bacteria or allergens, you don't want it to stay there. The beard may serve as a filter, but like a filter in a furnace, if you don't change it regularly (or clean it in this case) it leads to trouble. Transmission of bacteria from the beard to the body is more likely the longer it remains in the beard. To really take advantage of any health benefits of a beard, you must practice proper hygiene and clean the beard regularly.

Claim #3: A beard can assist those with asthma.
For those with asthma, asthma "triggers" like dust, smoke or pet dander can make it hard to breathe. Some suggest that the beard serves as a filter for the lungs, stopping these triggers from getting into your respiratory system and preventing an asthma flare-up.

This may have some truth to it, but it's important to know that some facial hair styles may be more effective than others. A bigger, bushier beard would filter more air to keep the allergens out, whereas smaller facial hair would be less effective, especially if it offers not a whole lot of coverage around the nose. For instance, a goatee or a chin strap beard certainly has different health implications than someone that looks like Henry the VIII.

Claim #4: Beards can make allergies worse.
For those with allergies, a bigger beard may protect you from pollutants or allergens filtering into the airway, but there's a catch - if you don't clean out the beard, ultimately these allergens will get into the airways. So if you go out in the day, allergens may be caught in facial hair, but if the facial hair is not cleaned those allergens will follow you around all day and may end up in the airway down the road.

Claim #5: Beards can make you sick.
Many claim that beards trap germs and harbor bacteria on the face. This goes back to the cleanliness thing. You can't just trim the beard and facial hair, you need to wash the beard to remove particles and bacteria you've been trapping all day long. If not, you will have bacteria and particles trapped on your face all day.

The Bottom Line
Facial hair is a personal preference and everyone should be able to express their feelings and fashion sense. And when it comes to beards, there may be some potentially good and bad health effects, but you can mitigate some of the risks by keeping the beard and facial hair clean.

Illustration by MacKenzie Olsberg

Blog last updated: April 2, 2020
Jdsk
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Re: Why do so many Pro Racing Cyclists now have Beards ?

Post by Jdsk »

Anthony.R.Brown wrote: 3 Jul 2021, 1:21pm 5 Reasons beards can harbour bacteria etc. and are risky to have unless you keep it clean! ?.. which is not an easy thing to do riding a bike for hours like in the tour at the moment,(so avoid getting in the slip stream of a rider with a beard!) :)

https://www.lung.org/blog/beards-and-lung-health

Beards are a hot trend that have a long-standing reputation for keeping you warm during the cold winter months. But that's not all. There are several claims online and in the media that beards are healthy and others that they are not. So what's a guy to do? That's why we've turned to a lung health expert to take a look at claims surrounding beards and lung health.

American Lung Association Senior Medical Advisor Dr. Albert Rizzo takes a look at common claims about beards and lung health and tells it to us straight: are beards healthy or harmful?

Claim #1: A beard can keep you warm in winter.
A beard may keep more warmth on the skin, so the facial temperature may be helped by that, but overall won't have a tremendous effect on body warmth. And for those with asthma who need to protect their airway from cold air, a beard just won't do that. So wearing a scarf is certainly better than even a bushy beard.

Claim #2: A beard can ward off throat disease.
The hairs that grow in the nostrils were designed by nature to guard the lungs from the invasion of airborne bacteria and particles. If we have additional hair like a beard to filter what we breathe it adds to this protective nature. It may be a good reason to have the beard as it serves as another barrier to protect the airways and lungs. However, whatever the beard has trapped, whether bacteria or allergens, you don't want it to stay there. The beard may serve as a filter, but like a filter in a furnace, if you don't change it regularly (or clean it in this case) it leads to trouble. Transmission of bacteria from the beard to the body is more likely the longer it remains in the beard. To really take advantage of any health benefits of a beard, you must practice proper hygiene and clean the beard regularly.

Claim #3: A beard can assist those with asthma.
For those with asthma, asthma "triggers" like dust, smoke or pet dander can make it hard to breathe. Some suggest that the beard serves as a filter for the lungs, stopping these triggers from getting into your respiratory system and preventing an asthma flare-up.

This may have some truth to it, but it's important to know that some facial hair styles may be more effective than others. A bigger, bushier beard would filter more air to keep the allergens out, whereas smaller facial hair would be less effective, especially if it offers not a whole lot of coverage around the nose. For instance, a goatee or a chin strap beard certainly has different health implications than someone that looks like Henry the VIII.

Claim #4: Beards can make allergies worse.
For those with allergies, a bigger beard may protect you from pollutants or allergens filtering into the airway, but there's a catch - if you don't clean out the beard, ultimately these allergens will get into the airways. So if you go out in the day, allergens may be caught in facial hair, but if the facial hair is not cleaned those allergens will follow you around all day and may end up in the airway down the road.

Claim #5: Beards can make you sick.
Many claim that beards trap germs and harbor bacteria on the face. This goes back to the cleanliness thing. You can't just trim the beard and facial hair, you need to wash the beard to remove particles and bacteria you've been trapping all day long. If not, you will have bacteria and particles trapped on your face all day.

The Bottom Line
Facial hair is a personal preference and everyone should be able to express their feelings and fashion sense. And when it comes to beards, there may be some potentially good and bad health effects, but you can mitigate some of the risks by keeping the beard and facial hair clean.

Illustration by MacKenzie Olsberg

Blog last updated: April 2, 2020
You've just quoted an expert who hasn't suggested that beards are harmful to health, and could be beneficial.

He hasn't given or confirmed five "reasons", he's addressed five claims made by others.

He thinks it's a good idea not to have a dirty beard, and who would disagree? It isn't difficult to wash once or twice a day even if you're racing or touring, and whether you have a beard or not.

Jonathan
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Anthony.R.Brown
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Re: Why do so many Pro Racing Cyclists now have Beards ?

Post by Anthony.R.Brown »

Don't get in the Slipstream of these ? :(

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Anthony.R.Brown
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Re: Why do so many Pro Racing Cyclists now have Beards ?

Post by Anthony.R.Brown »

Massive bacteria hot spot an insects heaven :( ...

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Anthony.R.Brown
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Re: Why do so many Pro Racing Cyclists now have Beards ?

Post by Anthony.R.Brown »

There really needs to be some rules in Cycling before it gets out of hand :(


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Re: Why do so many Pro Racing Cyclists now have Beards ?

Post by kylecycler »

sjs wrote: 3 Jul 2021, 9:30am
Anthony.R.Brown wrote: 1 Jul 2021, 5:38pm We only have to look at Nature to get the answer! the fastest animals regarding less Drag are the Cheetah with micro short hair, and the Dolphin with no hair! :smile:
Bearded vultures are quicker than dolphins
Especially in a dive.

I alternate between shaving my beard (and my head) and letting it grow, so I suppose I'm healthy, then I'm not, then I am again. Life's a rollercoaster! :D

I does make you think, though. I'm sure there's something to the hygiene aspect of it, but it's fairly well established that excessive hygiene, just generally, weakens the immune system and vice versa, so you never know, maybe you're healthier with a beard because of that.

What would be ridiculous - and I'm sure there's no way it would happen - would be if the pro cyclists started sporting 'hipster' beards - that really would affect their 'aero'. IIRC Wiggo had one for a while in more recent years, but of course that was after he stopped racing.
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Hellhound
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Re: Why do so many Pro Racing Cyclists now have Beards ?

Post by Hellhound »

Same thread on another forum,same responses.It seems the OP has form on there for ridiculous and unfounded claims :lol:
Likes his charts,graphs and stats :roll:
I suppose it breaks up the boredom if nothing else :lol:
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Re: Why do so many Pro Racing Cyclists now have Beards ?

Post by Bonefishblues »

Hellhound wrote: 3 Jul 2021, 2:45pm Same thread on another forum,same responses.It seems the OP has form on there for ridiculous and unfounded claims :lol:
Likes his charts,graphs and stats :roll:
I suppose it breaks up the boredom if nothing else :lol:
All his threads are duplicated on the two forums.
Jdsk
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Re: Why do so many Pro Racing Cyclists now have Beards ?

Post by Jdsk »

kylecycler wrote: 3 Jul 2021, 2:10pmI does make you think, though. I'm sure there's something to the hygiene aspect of it, but it's fairly well established that excessive hygiene, just generally, weakens the immune system and vice versa, so you never know, maybe you're healthier with a beard because of that.
The hygiene hypothesis needs to be accompanied with a lot of warnings about uncertainties. But there's much more evidence for effect in early life than there is for anything in adults.

And much of the concern isn't about weakening the immune system but about causing overreaction, for example with allergies and inflammation.

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Hellhound
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Re: Why do so many Pro Racing Cyclists now have Beards ?

Post by Hellhound »

Bonefishblues wrote: 3 Jul 2021, 2:51pm
Hellhound wrote: 3 Jul 2021, 2:45pm Same thread on another forum,same responses.It seems the OP has form on there for ridiculous and unfounded claims :lol:
Likes his charts,graphs and stats :roll:
I suppose it breaks up the boredom if nothing else :lol:
All his threads are duplicated on the two forums.
That doesn't surprise me.
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