Hi all, Coach Smith is back after not reading Lactnet for a while. Yes, jock itch and athlete's foot are yeast infections. And you can bet that top male athletes take it seriously, treat it aggressively, and do not stop treating it till they get it under control, then move heaven and earth to prevent it from getting another foothold (or ..... maybe a pun is not needed here.) A football player will not tolerate a raw, sore groin that limits his running speed. At the salary he makes, the coach cannot afford (literally) to give him a day off work (at $3000 a day) to mess around with inadequate treatment of yeast infections. If the team doc didn't treat yeast adequately, the team owner would hire a new doc real quick. Yeast is very, very easy to get. Here are some ways: 1. Be a child, baby, or pregnant woman. Or lactating woman. 2. Have any stress to your immune system, including allergies, pregnancy, any infection, etc. 3. Live in a place with warm moist weather and high airborne mold counts. OR visit there. 4. Eat a diet high in sugar and/or refined carbohydrates. 5. Allow moisture to sit on your skin anywhere - groin, underarms, between toes, under your bathing suit, etc. 6. Take an antibiotic. 7. Touch some other place where yeast is growing: someone else's body, underwear, towels, etc. then touch any place on your body where the sun don't shine a lot, if you get my drift. Any warm, dark, moist place is an excellent breeding ground for yeast. 8. Have houseplants or pets. (Cats and dogs can carry yeast in their ears.) The list could go on. Sometimes I think you can get yeast just because it's Thursday. Linda J. Smith, BSE, FACCE, IBCLC Bright Future Lactation Resource Centre Dayton, OH USA http://www.bflrc.com