Protecting arms from the sun
#26
Me duelen las nalgas
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I have various lightweight UV-resistant tech fabric long sleeve tees. I suppose I could wear those under a short sleeve jersey. And one set of black Pearl Izumi arm warmers.
But this year I'm skipping the sunscreen and long sleeves while testing the recent theories about getting sun exposure to enhance production of Vitamin D and nitric oxide. There's a related theory that reducing sugar intake and body fat seems to reduce vulnerability to sunburn. And another related theory that sunscreen does not reduce the risk of skin cancer. (All three from studies published on PubMed, not junk pop culture voodoo health sites run by guys with nicknames like "avocado".)
I'm usually skeptical about such claims, even when backed up by published research on the PubMed site. But so far, so good this spring and early summer. No sunburns on rides up to 4 hours at midday.
That surprised me because in the past I burned easily. But back then I also was careless about my diet, consumed a lot of sugar, and while I didn't appear overweight I did have about 10 lbs of excess body fat evenly distributed.
But I'll need to wait about a year for my next bone density scan to see if there's any measurable improvement.
But this year I'm skipping the sunscreen and long sleeves while testing the recent theories about getting sun exposure to enhance production of Vitamin D and nitric oxide. There's a related theory that reducing sugar intake and body fat seems to reduce vulnerability to sunburn. And another related theory that sunscreen does not reduce the risk of skin cancer. (All three from studies published on PubMed, not junk pop culture voodoo health sites run by guys with nicknames like "avocado".)
I'm usually skeptical about such claims, even when backed up by published research on the PubMed site. But so far, so good this spring and early summer. No sunburns on rides up to 4 hours at midday.
That surprised me because in the past I burned easily. But back then I also was careless about my diet, consumed a lot of sugar, and while I didn't appear overweight I did have about 10 lbs of excess body fat evenly distributed.
But I'll need to wait about a year for my next bone density scan to see if there's any measurable improvement.
#27
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Coolibar makes a number of products designed for folks who want sun protection while doing various outdoor things. My wife likes them for her summer tennis matches.
dave
dave
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After asking google to convert that temperature to Merican, I agree.
This past Saturday I did a 65mi ride in 95deg(35) heat and still used them because sunscreen just drips off me when its warmer than 80(26.666666666) and I would feel hot without the sleeves anyways, so I just went with em. A little water on them to cool down helps when it gets so hot.
This past Saturday I did a 65mi ride in 95deg(35) heat and still used them because sunscreen just drips off me when its warmer than 80(26.666666666) and I would feel hot without the sleeves anyways, so I just went with em. A little water on them to cool down helps when it gets so hot.
#29
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I have various lightweight UV-resistant tech fabric long sleeve tees. I suppose I could wear those under a short sleeve jersey. And one set of black Pearl Izumi arm warmers.
But this year I'm skipping the sunscreen and long sleeves while testing the recent theories about getting sun exposure to enhance production of Vitamin D and nitric oxide. There's a related theory that reducing sugar intake and body fat seems to reduce vulnerability to sunburn. And another related theory that sunscreen does not reduce the risk of skin cancer. (All three from studies published on PubMed, not junk pop culture voodoo health sites run by guys with nicknames like "avocado".)
I'm usually skeptical about such claims, even when backed up by published research on the PubMed site. But so far, so good this spring and early summer. No sunburns on rides up to 4 hours at midday.
That surprised me because in the past I burned easily. But back then I also was careless about my diet, consumed a lot of sugar, and while I didn't appear overweight I did have about 10 lbs of excess body fat evenly distributed.
But I'll need to wait about a year for my next bone density scan to see if there's any measurable improvement.
But this year I'm skipping the sunscreen and long sleeves while testing the recent theories about getting sun exposure to enhance production of Vitamin D and nitric oxide. There's a related theory that reducing sugar intake and body fat seems to reduce vulnerability to sunburn. And another related theory that sunscreen does not reduce the risk of skin cancer. (All three from studies published on PubMed, not junk pop culture voodoo health sites run by guys with nicknames like "avocado".)
I'm usually skeptical about such claims, even when backed up by published research on the PubMed site. But so far, so good this spring and early summer. No sunburns on rides up to 4 hours at midday.
That surprised me because in the past I burned easily. But back then I also was careless about my diet, consumed a lot of sugar, and while I didn't appear overweight I did have about 10 lbs of excess body fat evenly distributed.
But I'll need to wait about a year for my next bone density scan to see if there's any measurable improvement.
#30
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I too recommend the sun sleeves--in white. If it's 100 degrees, you can wet them and maybe take advantage of some evaporative cooling.
Does anyone use a neck gaiter to protect the back of the neck and can recommend a good one for hot weather? That's always a problem area for me on long rides. Sun screen washes away easily from that area with sweat.
Does anyone use a neck gaiter to protect the back of the neck and can recommend a good one for hot weather? That's always a problem area for me on long rides. Sun screen washes away easily from that area with sweat.
#31
Senior Member
I too recommend the sun sleeves--in white. If it's 100 degrees, you can wet them and maybe take advantage of some evaporative cooling.
Does anyone use a neck gaiter to protect the back of the neck and can recommend a good one for hot weather? That's always a problem area for me on long rides. Sun screen washes away easily from that area with sweat.
Does anyone use a neck gaiter to protect the back of the neck and can recommend a good one for hot weather? That's always a problem area for me on long rides. Sun screen washes away easily from that area with sweat.
#32
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I don't use them in summer, but one of those stretchy "uber tube" buff neck gaiter things work well for me in winter. I've also used them in conjunction with an N95 masks for California summers, where the entire state catches fire for months nowadays. Don't know if they'd be too hot in summer for you, they would be for me on really hot days. OR makes them, but I've also gotten them as "free gifts" with a lot of my Aliexpress cheap Chinese jerseys. Very thin material, and extremely stretchy, you could put it up over your head, or just have it around your neck.
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Sunscreens work fine with the caveat that they'll need to be reapplied after 90 minutes or so. So unless you want to bring it along with you while you're riding, I'd go with the sun sleeves.
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#38
Jedi Master
Not using any sunscreen is likely more harmful than using chemical sunscreen, but there is some evidence that chemical sunscreen isn't good for you. There is also very little data confirming that it is safe, and a lot of evidence confirming that it's bad for the environment.
I made the switch from chemical sunscreen to mineral sunblock a few years ago. It is more expensive and harder to use so I understand why most people still use chemical sunscreen.
I made the switch from chemical sunscreen to mineral sunblock a few years ago. It is more expensive and harder to use so I understand why most people still use chemical sunscreen.
#39
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Not using any sunscreen is likely more harmful than using chemical sunscreen, but there is some evidence that chemical sunscreen isn't good for you. There is also very little data confirming that it is safe, and a lot of evidence confirming that it's bad for the environment.
Can the chemicals in sunscreen cause cancer?
You may have heard or read that chemicals in sunscreens are harmful and may increase your risk of developing cancer.What do we think?
The research on oxybenzone, retinyl palmitate and parabens does not show that they cause cancer. None of these chemicals has been classified as a cancer-causing substance by any major scientific organization. The Canadian Cancer Society has studied the current research, and we believe that oxybenzone, retinyl palmitate and parabens in sunscreen do not pose a cancer risk.https://www.cancer.ca/en/prevention-...cer/?region=ab
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American Academy of Dermatology - Is sunscreen safe?
An extract from a page of the American Academy of Dermatology:
I recently read an article that suggests the FDA is saying many sunscreen ingredients are unsafe. Is this true?
No, but the regulatory language can be confusing. What the FDA has done is issue a proposed rule, which asks manufacturers to provide more data about the safety of several sunscreen ingredients. These sunscreen ingredients have been used in the United States for years.
Why is the FDA concerned about these sunscreen ingredients?
The FDA is asking for more safety data to find out the following:
This proposal rule classifies sunscreen ingredients.
The FDA is proposing that two ingredients are “generally recognized as safe and effective” (GRASE). These ingredients are:
The FDA is calling for more safety data on the following 12 ingredients before determining whether these ingredients can be classified as GRASE:
I recently read an article that suggests the FDA is saying many sunscreen ingredients are unsafe. Is this true?
No, but the regulatory language can be confusing. What the FDA has done is issue a proposed rule, which asks manufacturers to provide more data about the safety of several sunscreen ingredients. These sunscreen ingredients have been used in the United States for years.
Why is the FDA concerned about these sunscreen ingredients?
The FDA is asking for more safety data to find out the following:
- To what extent your skin absorbs sunscreen ingredients
- Whether absorbing sunscreen has any effects on your skin or body
This proposal rule classifies sunscreen ingredients.
The FDA is proposing that two ingredients are “generally recognized as safe and effective” (GRASE). These ingredients are:
- Titanium dioxide
- Zinc oxide
- PABA
- Tolamine salicylate
The FDA is calling for more safety data on the following 12 ingredients before determining whether these ingredients can be classified as GRASE:
- Ingredients commonly used in the U.S.: ensulizole, octisalate, ****salate, octocrylene, octinoxate, oxybenzone, avobenzone.
- Ingredients not frequently used in the U.S.: Cinoxate, dioxybenzone, meradimate, padimate O, sulisobenzone.
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#41
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Yeah, let's not go nuts with the junk science. Don't skip the sunscreen. If it's been working for you, and especially if you or your family have a history of skin cancer, do something to protect your meat envelope.
I'm skipping the sunscreen only out of curiosity. I don't believe sunscreen causes cancer. It's certain effective at protecting from painful sunburns. There's some doubt about whether it also protects from cancer caused by sun exposure, but I'm not really concerned about that either.
If I was really concerned about protecting my hide from the sun I'd do like my buddy Harry and dress like Sherif Ali in Lawrence of Arabia. Harry wears mostly black full arm and leg coverings year 'round, and a neck covering attached to his helmet. And my buddy Ted wears white -- he has had a bout with melanoma and isn't taking any chances. Both of them say it's tolerable in heat, even midday sun.
I'm just curious to try the theories that we may need more sun exposure than many of us get, particularly to generate Vitamin D for bone health and nitric oxide for energy.
And I was curious about the theory that cutting back on the body fat and eliminating most sugar from the diet may reduce our vulnerability to sunburn. That's easy to test immediately. And sure enough, so far this year it's worked for me. I've always been prone to sunburn, but in the past I also ate a lot of sugar and sweet stuff. When I was younger I was so active I was still skinny. But by my mid-30s I was getting fat. And I was sunburning much more easily.
Now I'm down to nearly my optimal weight of my late teens and early 20s, with maybe 3 lbs of excess body fat around my belly and lower back. I've cut way back on sugar, but haven't eliminated it completely. And I've cut back on the junk carbs including beer.
There seems to be some connection between diet, body fat and sunburn vulnerability. But I wouldn't claim that *not* suffering painful sunburn means it's a good idea to go without some skin protection. I'm tanning, but my skin has that typical dry, mottled, uneven look we old folks get. I'm pretty satisfied with the results of this experiment -- I didn't sunburn -- so I'll probably resume using sun screen and/or sleeves/leggings, at least for midday rides.
The Vitamin D and nitric oxide thing? Who knows. I'll need to wait for my next bone density scan. As for energy from encouraging the body to make its own nitric oxide on demand, also who knows? I've always had some good, strong days and some some blah days with low energy. I can't prove my recent good days are due to letting the sun tan my hide. For all I know it may be the creatine, extra vitamins and minerals, getting my low thyroid level back in balance, or just improved conditioning. Too many variables to credit the sun with my slightly faster speeds or slightly improved stamina.
I'm skipping the sunscreen only out of curiosity. I don't believe sunscreen causes cancer. It's certain effective at protecting from painful sunburns. There's some doubt about whether it also protects from cancer caused by sun exposure, but I'm not really concerned about that either.
If I was really concerned about protecting my hide from the sun I'd do like my buddy Harry and dress like Sherif Ali in Lawrence of Arabia. Harry wears mostly black full arm and leg coverings year 'round, and a neck covering attached to his helmet. And my buddy Ted wears white -- he has had a bout with melanoma and isn't taking any chances. Both of them say it's tolerable in heat, even midday sun.
I'm just curious to try the theories that we may need more sun exposure than many of us get, particularly to generate Vitamin D for bone health and nitric oxide for energy.
And I was curious about the theory that cutting back on the body fat and eliminating most sugar from the diet may reduce our vulnerability to sunburn. That's easy to test immediately. And sure enough, so far this year it's worked for me. I've always been prone to sunburn, but in the past I also ate a lot of sugar and sweet stuff. When I was younger I was so active I was still skinny. But by my mid-30s I was getting fat. And I was sunburning much more easily.
Now I'm down to nearly my optimal weight of my late teens and early 20s, with maybe 3 lbs of excess body fat around my belly and lower back. I've cut way back on sugar, but haven't eliminated it completely. And I've cut back on the junk carbs including beer.
There seems to be some connection between diet, body fat and sunburn vulnerability. But I wouldn't claim that *not* suffering painful sunburn means it's a good idea to go without some skin protection. I'm tanning, but my skin has that typical dry, mottled, uneven look we old folks get. I'm pretty satisfied with the results of this experiment -- I didn't sunburn -- so I'll probably resume using sun screen and/or sleeves/leggings, at least for midday rides.
The Vitamin D and nitric oxide thing? Who knows. I'll need to wait for my next bone density scan. As for energy from encouraging the body to make its own nitric oxide on demand, also who knows? I've always had some good, strong days and some some blah days with low energy. I can't prove my recent good days are due to letting the sun tan my hide. For all I know it may be the creatine, extra vitamins and minerals, getting my low thyroid level back in balance, or just improved conditioning. Too many variables to credit the sun with my slightly faster speeds or slightly improved stamina.