Why does acne get worse when I start exercising?
Hello.
I am Seo Min-ho, the founding director of Episode Clinic.
우선 시작하기 전에.. 이번 내용은 주제가 깊어지기 때문에 재미없을 수 있습니다.
It might actually be fun forpeople who are serious about exerciseand those with a keen intellectual curiosity!!
재미없다면 마지막으로 가서 결론만 읽어주셔도 됩니다 ㅎㅎ
Well then, let's get started.
When I interview patients who have recently experienced a sudden breakout of acne,
Many people say thattheir acnesuddenlygot worseafter they started exercising.
In that case, let me ask one more question.
"Do you take any fitness supplements?"
특히 단백질 보충제를 먹기 시작한 이후 여드름이 악화됐다는 말씀을 자주 듣습니다.
So, do fitness supplementsreally make acne worse?
To get straight to the point,
일부 보충제는 여드름 악화와 꽤 높은 연관성을 보입니다.
1. The Relationship Between Whey Protein and Acne
Whey proteinis the most commonly used protein among health supplements.
The proteins in milk are broadly divided into two types.
1) Casein: About 80% of milk protein
2) Whey (whey protein): approximately 20%
Most protein powders used as sports supplements are
It is made from rapidly absorbed whey protein.
The problem is that quite a few studies have reported a link between whey proteinand acne.
For example, in one study,
When comparing 100 acne patients with 101 healthy controls,
1. 47%of people with acne consume whey protein
2.Only 27.7%of patients without acne consume it
It has been found that...
[The Effect of Whey Protein Supplements on Acne Vulgaris Among Male Adolescents and Young Adults: A Case-Control Study from Northern Jordan, 2024]
In other words, there was a statistically significant association between protein supplement use and acne.
2. What is whey protein?
To begin with, milk has been the primary source of nutrition for young mammals since prehistoric times.
For newborn mammals, milk is not just food, but
It is a complete food that sends the message, "Grow."
So, the moment milkenters the body, a mammal’s body makes this determination.
“귀한 에너지다. 저장해야겠다!”
“이걸 먹고 빨리 성장해야겠다!”
In response to this signal, several important hormones are activated in the body.
대표적인 것이 아래 두가지 입니다.
1) Insulin: A hormone that helps store energy
2)IGF-1 (Insulin-like Growth Factor-1): A hormone that promotes growth and cell proliferation
즉 우유는 단순히 영양을 공급하는 것이 아니라
몸을 ‘성장 모드’로 전환시키는 신호를 함께 보내는 식품이라고 볼 수 있습니다.
The problem is that these signals also affect the skin.
When insulin and IGF-1 levels rise,
1) The sebaceous glandsbecome active, and
2) Sebum productionincreases, and
3) The keratinocytes in the poresbegin to proliferate.
If this process repeats, eventually
Excess sebumand clogged porescreate an environment that is prone to acne.
In particular , whey protein—whichis widely used as a fitness supplement —is
You can stimulatethese signals even more strongly.
Let me explain the reasons by breaking them down into three main physiological mechanisms.
3. 왜 유청단백질이 여드름을 악화시킬까?
1) 류신(Leucine) 함량이 매우 높다.
Whey proteincontains a very high amount of an amino acid called leucine.
The problem is that this amino acid, lysine, strongly activates mTORC1. (I’ll explainmTORC1below!!)
In fact, whey proteincontains
It contains approximately14 g of leucineper 100 g, and
This is known to activate mTORC1 signaling.
Effects of Diet on Acne and Its Response to Treatment, Hilary Baldwin , 2021]
2) IGF-1 증가 → 피지 분비 증가
Whey proteincan increase IGF-1 (Insulin-like Growth Factor-1) levelsin the body.
When IGF-1 levels rise,
(1) 피지선 활성 증가
(2) 피지 분비 증가
(3) 모공 각질세포 증식
This happens.
Ultimately, this creates an environmentwhere sebumproduction increases and pores are prone to clogging.
3. 인슐린 상승 → 여드름 신호경로 활성
Whey proteinalso increases insulin secretion.
When insulin and IGF-1increase together, a cellular signaling pathway called mTORC1is activated. (It’s getting a little complicated, isn’t it…?)
This pathway plays a very important role in the development of acne.
Dietary intervention in acne, Bodo C. Melnik, 2012
복잡하지만..빨간박스 내용만 보시면 우유 많이 먹음 -> 인슐린 관련 작용 활성 -> mTORC1 활성 -> 지방(피지)생성 증가
It can be summarized as follows...
When mTORC1 is activated,
1) Increased sebum production
2) Proliferation of keratinocytes
3) Increased inflammatory response
...occur simultaneously.
To sum it up,
4. Conclusion
Whey protein → Increased IGF-1 + increased insulin + increased leucine →mTOR activation → sebum secretion + clogged pores + inflammation → worsening of acne
Because of this process, taking sports supplementsafter a workout can make your acne worse!!
It can be summarized in a single line like this.
But if you're into fitness... you can't skip your protein intake, right?
The next topic will be "So, how should we go about protein supplementation?" 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.