A stomach-churning investigation into the bacteria lurking in gym changing rooms might make you think twice about showering barefoot after your next workout.
The Shocking Experiment
Nick Aicher, a Chicago-based senior quality control analyst and microbiologist, recently conducted an experiment that has gone viral on TikTok, garnering nearly 14,000 views. On his page @howdirtyis, which boasts 500,000 followers, Aicher demonstrated the amount of bacterial growth found on a typical gym shower floor.
The revealing clip begins with Aicher using a cotton bud to swab the floor of a public gym shower. He then carefully rubbed the sample onto a petri dish, clearly labelled 'public shower floor', before placing it into his special incubator.
After an unspecified period, Aicher checked the container and was confronted by a thick, visible presence of bacterial growth. Commenting on his disturbing findings, he stated: 'So, that's why you should wear some flip flops.'
Public Reaction and Expert Warnings
The video sparked significant concern among viewers, with one user commenting 'yikes' while another declared they were 'buying shower shoes now'. However, some followers expressed surprise that the results weren't worse, with one noting 'not as bad as I expected actually lol'.
This experiment aligns with previous warnings from scientists about gyms being hotbeds for germs and harmful micro-organisms. Dr Primrose Freestone, a senior lecturer in Clinical Microbiology at the University of Leicester, explained in an article for The Conversation that 'by far, the most germ-rich areas in any gym are places that are warm and wet.'
She specifically highlighted saunas, showers, swimming pools and hot tubs as particular risk areas, noting that 'anywhere there's sweat, there are probably germs'. Dr Freestone elaborated that sweat provides a complex mixture of substances including vitamins, mineral salts, lactic acid, amino acids and lipids that bacteria can use to grow.
Understanding the Health Risks
Perhaps most worryingly, Dr Freestone identified that the most common disease-causing bacteria in germ profiling studies is Staphylococcus aureus, 'a bacteria which can trigger MRSA'.
According to the NHS, MRSA usually lives harmlessly on the skin but can cause serious infection if it enters the body. Symptoms may include painful, swollen areas that feel warm to touch, leak pus or appear red, though these signs can be harder to detect on brown or Black skin.
If the infection spreads, it can lead to high temperature, difficulty breathing, chills, dizziness or confusion. Dr Freestone also warned that stomach infections are a risk, as pathogens such as Salmonella have been found on gym equipment.
However, Jonathan Fletcher, a germs expert at the University of Bradford, offered a different perspective, suggesting that the higher risk in gym environments might actually come from viruses rather than bacteria. He specifically highlighted the risk of verrucae and fungal infections like athlete's foot.
The NHS explains that verrucae are small foot warts caused by certain strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV), while athlete's foot is a fungal infection causing an itchy, red, scaly rash.
