Every athlete knows how important it is to maintain a high level of personal hygiene, so that he or she can stay healthy out on the field. Participating in sports can result in a number of diseases or infections, since there is sweat, germs, and other pathogens all around an athlete. In order to maintain great health and wellness, an athlete should always take precautions to limit his or her risk of infections or illness, especially when it comes to personal hygiene.
Here are three of the best personal hygiene tips that every athlete should follow, which can keep him or her healthy, and performing at the highest level possible during athletic activity.

Wash Protective Gear After Each Use
An athlete should always take his or her protective gear home after every game or practice, so that these items can be washed immediately. It is very important that an athlete wash the protective gear, such as padding and gloves, every day after a game or practice, due to the amount of sweat on the equipment. There are high levels of sweat, bodily fluids, germs, pathogens, dirt, and bacteria that are absorbed into the padding, which can create a hostile environment. If an athlete does not wash his or her protective gear after each use, he or she is letting that nasty bacteria come into contact with the skin, which can put him or her at risk for infection or disease. Even if the padding or protective equipment does not look dirty, there is still sweat that is not visible hiding inside the layers of padding, and this can cause numerous ill side effects for an athlete. An athlete also needs to wash the equipment because he or she does not know what else might have come into contact with it, and the unknown debris or dirt could be what causes serious illness, and it is just overall unhygienic.
Never Share Water Bottles
An athlete should also make sure to never share a water bottle with another athlete, even if he or she is friends with the other person. Sharing a water bottle can put an athlete at risk for all sorts of diseases, infections, colds, and germs, which might be serious in nature. No matter how many times an athlete is told to not share a water bottle, it seems that it happens anyways, and this is not good personal hygiene. If an athlete has a cough or cold, and then drinks from another water bottle, this could transfer the cough or cold to someone else. If an athlete is sick with the flu or a bacterial infection, this could also be transferred from drinking out of another water bottle, even if he or she does not put his or her lips on the lid. The bacteria and germs can get inside the water bottle as well, which means it might be in the water itself. The germs inside the water bottle can easily transfer to another athlete, and make him or her sick as well, so it is just best to avoid the situation all together.
Shower After Every Practice or Game
An athlete should also make sure to shower right after every practice or game, which can be one of the most crucial aspects of great personal hygiene. During a game or practice, an athlete is likely to become sweaty, which can be a breeding ground for germs or bacteria. The sweat, bacteria, and germs, along with debris or other unknown materials, can really cause an athlete to become ill. Not to mention the fact that during a sport, an athlete is likely to come into contact with another athlete, and he or she could become infected with a contagious illness or disease. Taking a shower after every game or practice can help eliminate the germs or bacteria from the body, and can make disease contraction less likely, especially when it comes to bacterial infections, or even the common cold.