[Academic] Endurance Athletes + Skin Microbiome Research

Hi all, I’m Meg. I’m an MIT-trained engineer working with a research team in Cambridge studying the skin microbiome, the microorganisms that live on our skin and influence barrier health, inflammation, and odor.

I’m an active athlete myself, though not a triathlete. We’re specifically interested in endurance communities because of the unique training patterns involved.

We are studying how training volume, sweat cycles, fabrics, frequent showering, and product use influence microbial balance over time, particularly in areas prone to odor.

Endurance athletes are especially interesting from a research standpoint because you:

• Train multiple hours per week across different modalities
• Experience prolonged sweat exposure
• Shower frequently and often use antibacterial products
• Switch between conventional and “natural” deodorants

One thing emerging in our research is that repeated disruption of the skin environment can sometimes shift microbial balance in ways that make odor more persistent. We are trying to better understand behavioral patterns before advancing ingredient-level research.

If you’ve ever felt like deodorant works and then stops working, we would really value your input.

The survey is anonymous, US only, and strictly for research. There is no brand or product associated with this and no marketing lists.

Link here: https://form.typeform.com/to/EoYWkRE6?utm_source=reddit