Here’s how your Instagram-worthy gym wear is doing you dirty

Microplastics present in your trendy activewear could sabotage your health—here’s what you need to know about their hidden dangers

Once upon a time, hitting  the gym meant picking up the right pair of sneakers  and, of course, mastering your form.  Now, it’s all about nailing the ‘gym fit’—an Instagram sensation that has also garnered over 232.8 million posts on TikTok. But is your neon spandex really worth the likes?  

Nylon, spandex and polyester—the go-to materials for most activewear—are powerhouses of microplastics, according to the Plastic Soup Foundation. The production of these garments guzzles non-renewable resources such as petrochemicals, coal, air and water. Worse, multiple studies show that these microplastics can disrupt your endocrine system, posing serious health risks. We speak to experts to uncover just how damaging your Instagrammable gym wear might be.

The omnipresence of microplastics in gym wear

When you’re sweating it out in the gym, it’s natural to incline towards clothes that feature wicking properties to keep moisture at bay, provide a great stretch, and don’t interfere with your workouts in any way. That’s why fabrics like nylon, spandex, and polyester dominate the shelves at Adidas, Nike and Puma; while they are practical material choices, they are also packed with microplastics. In fact, as of 2023, 70 per cent of the clothes manufactured across the world contain some type of microplastics. 

Humera Tamboli, founder of sustainable and pH-balanced clothing label Sensing, explains, “Plastic is a material that has a low market price, and high reliability and availability, making it easy to sell as compared to natural fibres. A material like this with high exploitative character motivates fast fashion brands to sustain their fast-paced production and easily feed into their capitalistic goals.” A report by Changing Markets lists some of the least transparent brands,  including b Lululemon, Gap, Uniqlo, Primark, and Burberry among others. However, Tamboli states, “The truth is that [any] plastic is great for business but not for health,” pointing out that an overuse of plastic undermines innovation and sustainability, while also harming human health and marine life. 

How do potential toxins in workout clothes disrupt the endocrine system?

The human body’s endocrine system is responsible for hormone regulation, and disruptions in this system can lead to various health issues, including reproductive struggles, developmental disorders, and metabolic issues, explains Dr Jaishree Sharad, a celebrity dermatologist, founder of Skinfiniti, and author of Skin Rules. “Materials like spandex, nylon and polyester contain certain flame retardants (think chlorine and phosphate), phthalates and bisphenols—all components used in the production of plastic. These ingredients, in very large quantities, may have adverse effects on the endocrine system, especially the thyroid,” she adds.

Up until now, it is the food and beverage industry, as well as the packaging industry, that have been under the scanner for using microplastics, making it easier to establish a link between ingesting them and the health risks they pose. But how do the microplastics in your clothing pieces impact the endocrine system?  

Dr Kiran Sethi, a New Delhi-based dermatologist, founder of Isya Aesthetics, and author of Skin Sense, informs that microplastics make their way inside your body through sweat glands, hair follicles, and open pores present on your epidermis through and through. Sharad adds, “The sweat and sebum secreted from your body can dissolve the chemical additives to these fabrics, making them available for absorption from the skin. Since there is less breathability, the contact time of this sweat with the skin is greater. Once on the skin, the capillaries in the skin absorb them, and hence they enter the bloodstream. From the bloodstream, they can essentially make their way to any organ of the body. Multiple long-term exposures can therefore cause cumulative damage.” When asked about athletes, who essentially live in such fabrics, both Sethi and Sharad note that the data  on when the exposure moves from permissible to dangerous isn’t fully well-defined yet. “The longer you wear your sweaty clothes, the more that can be absorbed into your bloodstream.”

Your endocrine system isn’t what is solely at risk due to microplastics in garments. According to Sethi, while these materials may not pose an immediate threat, their non-breathable nature makes them likely to trigger allergies. “As someone with sensitive skin, materials like polyester and nylon cause a lot of itchiness, rashes and discomfort. These materials have phthalatespoly-fluoroalkyl (PFAS) and bisphenol A and toxic metals like lead and cadmium that not only disturb the body’s reproductive and endocrine systems but also directly affect skin health,” shares Tamboli. “Such clothing pieces could also further contribute to the creation of microplastics due to the garments’ wear and tear against the skin.” In his book To Dye For: How Toxic Fashion is Making Us Sick (2023), Alden Wicker emphasises the many ways in which our clothing makes us vulnerable to chemicals such as PFAs (perfluoroalkoxy alkanes). Workout wear or other  garments endorsed as “sweat-proof” or “water-repellent” possess the highest risk factors due to massive concentrations of the carcinogenic chemical(s) found in them. 

Making the switch

Before the West took to yoga, cotton and linen were the original choice of fabrics for those engaging in the exercise, as it prioritises unrestricted movement and breathwork that loose garments in such fabrics allow for. “Organic, sustainable materials like cotton are more breathable, comfortable, and skin-friendly. There is less friction and the chances of allergic reactions and fungal infections get reduced too. There is no microplastic wearing off, so any adverse effects on marine life are minimised. Furthermore, these materials are easily biodegradable, unlike synthetic ones that take years to degrade,” says Dr Madhuri Agarwal, a Mumbai-based celebrity dermatologist and founder of Yavana Aesthetics.

As of 2023, 72 per cent of the shoppers expressed a preference towards “plastic-free” gym wear. Brands like Sensing and Stretchery are among the homegrown ones to have taken an eco-conscious direction. In 2014, when Nirali Mehta observed that many Indians were indulging in mild- to medium-intensity physical activities, it sparked the idea of launching Stretchery, a sustainable fitness wear brand, with a commitment to organic farming, support soil preservation, and reduce water pollution. “All our products were manufactured through a Fair Trade-certified supply chain; they were made out of organic cotton, with minimum use of harmful chemicals and pesticides, and  without any genetic modifications.” However, with the COVID-19 pandemic, Mehta’s bootstrapped organisation shut operations. In a similar vein, Sensing’s production systems are in accordance with the environment, social and governance (ESG) parameters; the brand manufactures small-batch fabrics from the blends of beechwood from beech trees, certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (an organisation monitoring and promoting the responsible use of wood). “All our clothes and packaging are decomposable within 2-3 months,” cites Tamboli.

Sharad concurs that it’s crucial to stick to natural textiles like organic cotton or bamboo when it comes to activewear. “Some amount of lycra in workout wear is almost a necessity, for providing stretch, but the percentage should be as minimum as possible. Always check the making labels to find out the exact clothing composition. Ensure that your intimate wear, like sports bras, do not contain synthetic fabrics, and stay away from fast-fashion brands,” she recommends.

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