Socks are an important element in running and can help to maintain the optimal conditions of warmth and moisture for the foot. Although socks with bioceramic fiber could be capable of having an antiperspirant and antimicrobial effect, there is little scientific evidence for such potential. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the antimicrobial effect and the response, with regards to the foot’s perspiration, of a sock with bioceramic fibers, comparing the results with those of a cotton-made control sock.
Methods
A group of 33 male runners who were about to run a half-marathon race were asked to wear the bioceramic sock (Action®) on their left foot and the control sock (Kalenji Eliofeel Warm®) on their right foot. Before the race, a microbiological culture was taken on the skin under the fifth metatarsal head, followed by a measurement of the skin moisture on five anatomical zones of the foot. These analyses were repeated at the end of the race.
Results
After the race, there were significantly fewer bacteria on bioceramic socks than on the control (0.5 ± 1.2 × 104 versus 1.6 ± 2.3 × 104 colony-forming units/cm2, respectively, p = 0.022). At midfoot, dorsum, and the fifth metatarsal base, there was significantly less moisture after the race on the bioceramic sock than in the control (p = 0.011, p = 0.040, p = 0.023, respectively).
Conclusion
Socks made of bioceramic fibers showed antiperspirant and bacteriostatic characteristics that could help to maintain the normal physiology of the skin of the foot, which could contribute to preventing dermatological diseases.
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