Why does acne get worse when you start exercising?

hello.

I am Seo Min-ho, the representative Director of EPISODE CLINIC .

First of all, before we begin... this content might be boring because the topic gets deep.

It might actually be fun for those who exercise professionally and are full of intellectual curiosity !!

If you don't find it interesting, you can skip to the end and just read the conclusion haha.

Then, let's begin.

The exercise you tell yourself you'll start today but never actually go... How about you?

When interviewing someone who has recently experienced a sudden breakout of acne,

Many people say that their acne suddenly worsened after they started exercising .

Then I have one more question.

Do you happen to take fitness supplements?

I often hear people say that their acne has worsened, especially since they started taking protein supplements .

Then, do fitness supplements really worsen acne?

To start with the conclusion

Some supplements show a fairly high correlation with the worsening of acne.

1. The Relationship Between Whey Protein and Acne

The most widely used protein among fitness supplements is whey protein .

The proteins in milk are broadly divided into two types.

1. Casein : About 80% of milk protein

2. Whey : Approx. 20%

Most protein powders used as exercise supplements are

It is made based on fast-absorbing whey protein .

The problem is that there are quite a few studies reporting a link between this whey protein and acne.

For example, in one study

When comparing 100 acne patients and 101 normal control subjects

1. 47% of acne patients consume whey protein

2. Only 27.7% of patients without acne consumed

It appeared that...

[The Effect of Whey Protein Supplements on Acne Vulgaris among Male Adolescents and Young Adults: A Case-Control Study from North of Jordan, 2024]

In other words, the use of protein supplements showed a statistical association with acne .

2. What is whey protein?

First of all, milk has been the primary source of nutrition for young mammals since prehistoric times.

To newborn mammals, milk is not just a simple food.

It is a complete food containing the signal to 'grow' .

So, the mammalian body makes this judgment the moment milk enters.

“It’s precious energy. I need to store it! ”

I need to eat this and grow fast!

In response to this signal, several important hormones are activated in the body.

The representative examples are the following two.

1. Insulin : A hormone that stores energy

2. IGF-1 (Insulin-like Growth Factor-1) : A hormone that induces growth and cell proliferation.

In other words, milk does not simply provide nutrition, but

It can be seen as a food that sends a signal to switch the body into 'growth mode' .

The problem is that these signals also act on the skin.

When insulin and IGF-1 increase

1. The sebaceous glands are activated and

2. Sebum secretion increases and

3. Keratinocytes in the pores proliferate .

If this process is repeated, eventually

As sebum increases and pores become clogged, an environment is created where acne is likely to form.

Whey protein, which is especially widely used as a fitness supplement, is

This can stimulate these signals even more strongly .

I will explain the reason by dividing it into three main physiological functions.

3. Why does whey protein worsen acne?

1) It has a very high leucine content.

Whey protein contains a very large amount of an amino acid called leucine .

The problem is that leucine is an amino acid that strongly activates mTORC1 . (I will explain mTORC1 below!!)

Actually, whey protein contains

It contains approximately 14g / 100g of leucine .

This is known to activate the mTORC1 signal.

2) Increase in IGF-1 → Increase in sebum secretion

Whey protein can increase IGF-1 (Insulin-like Growth Factor-1) levels in the body.

If IGF-1 increases

1. Increased sebaceous gland activity

2. Increased sebum secretion

3. pore keratinocyte proliferation

This happens.

Ultimately, an environment is created where sebum increases and pores become easily clogged .

3) Increase in insulin → Activation of acne signaling pathway

Whey protein also increases insulin secretion.

When insulin and IGF-1 increase together, a cellular signaling pathway called mTORC1 is activated. (It gets a bit complicated, doesn't it?)

This pathway plays a very important role in the development of acne.

The original figures in the paper are much more complex, but if you look at the key points: high milk consumption → activation of insulin -related actions → activation of mTORC1 → increased fat (sebum) production.

It can be summarized as...

When mTORC1 is activated

1. Increased sebum synthesis

2. Keratinocyte proliferation

3. Increased inflammatory response

It occurs simultaneously.

To summarize:

4. Conclusion

Whey protein → Increased IGF-1 + Increased Insulin + Increased Leucine → Activation of mTOR → Sebum secretion + Clogged pores + Inflammation → Worsening of acne

Because of this process, taking fitness supplements after a workout can worsen acne!!

You can summarize it in a single line like this.

But if you're a fitness enthusiast... you can't miss out on protein supplementation, right?

I will be back with the next topic , "Then, how should we supplement protein?" Thank you.

※ This article was written with reference to the following papers.

1. Muhaidat J, et al. The Effect of Whey Protein Supplements on Acne Vulgaris. Cureus. 2024.

2. Melnik BC. Dietary intervention in acne: attenuation of increased mTORC1 signaling promoted by Western diet. Acta Dermato-Venereologica. 2012.

3. Baldwin H. Effects of Diet on Acne and Its Response to Treatment. Dermatology and Therapy. 2021.

4. Smith RN, Mann NJ, Braue A, et al. A low-glycemic-load diet improves symptoms in acne vulgaris patients. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2007.

5. Melnik BC. Linking diet to acne metabolomics, inflammation, and comedogenesis: an update. Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology. 2015.

6. Adebamowo CA, et al. High school dietary dairy intake and teenage acne. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. 2005.

7. Adebamowo CA, Spiegelman D, et al. Milk consumption and acne in adolescent girls. Dermatology Online Journal. 2006.

8. Moro T, et al. Leucine transport and mTORC1 signaling in protein metabolism. Nutrients. 2019.

9. Dreno B, et al. Nutrition and acne: current knowledge and future perspectives. Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology. 2018.