Does Shaving Your Legs Make You Run Faster? 4 Benefits

If you’ve been running for quite some time, you might question yourself, “does shaving your legs make you run faster?”.

Maybe you have seen other elite runners have shaved legs. It’s something that many runners are wondering about, even if I get curious.

In this article, I’ll answer all the questions that you may ask. By the end of it, hopefully, you get the answer you’re looking for, let’s talk about it.

Are There Any Benefits Of Shaving My Legs?

1. Easier To Treat Wounds

When wounded, it is much easier to treat the injury because of the cleaned, shaved legs. The last thing you want when injured is dirt in the hairs getting inside the wounded area, causing an infection.

If you’re in sports like cycling where the chance of getting injured in the knee is high, then shaving your legs is recommended.

2. Feels Better In Hot Weather

If you’re training a lot on hot summer days, excessive sweat on your hairy legs is bound to happen. Shaving your legs can make it feel cooler when running.

Having sweaty hairy legs can be nasty and shaving them saves the hassle of worrying about it.

3. More Comfortable

I’ve tried it and yes, it feels more comfortable without the hairy legs and it looks better and cleaner.

4. Muscle Definition Looks Finer

If you look at bodybuilders, notice they don’t have any body hair whatsoever, especially on their legs and chest. Judges could easily see the quality and definition of their muscles. Runners do it for the same purpose, they want their muscles to stand out better.

Does Shaving My Legs Make Me Run Faster?

The answer is no, it does not make you faster. Your hairy legs are simply not enough to slow yourself down when running. But it doesn’t mean that it has no benefits nor it is pointless shaving.

Do Elite Runners Shave Their Legs?

I have been in a lot of marathons and I always notice that other runners have shaved their legs. I also observed that a lot of elite runners have also shaved their legs. Their reasons are mostly personal preferences.

When Should I Shave My Legs

After showering is the perfect time to shave your legs. This will cleanse your hairy legs and push out all of the dirt into the drain. After this, your hair follicles will soften and be much easier to shave.

Should I Shave My Legs Every Day?

It is typically not recommended to shave every day. It could irritate your hair follicles and doing it every day can remove a layer of skin cells on the surface of your legs because of the number of times the blade runs across your skin.

Causing damage to your skin. Instead, shave your legs every 2 to 3 days to avoid the risks of razor bumps.

How To Shave My Legs?

Get a new and clean razor – It is important in using a clean and new razor to avoid mistakes and to shave your legs efficiently. A dull, bad razor is not recommended and can lead to redness, pulled-out skin, and razor burn.

You should change your razor after shaving 5 to 7 times.

Wet your legs – A wet surface is easier to shave. Not soaking your legs with water can irritate your skin and cause it to be itchy because of the blade rolling against the dry skin. So wet your legs to soften the hair and to clean whatever dirt is in your leg hairs.

Use shaving cream – Wetting your legs is likely not enough and you still have to apply additional shaving cream. You might ask if it’s worth buying a $10 shaving cream, but the answer is yes as shaving creams work as a moisturizer to ensure the shaving process is smooth and lessen the risk of skin irritation, razor burn, redness, and cuts.

Shave with the grain – Shaving with the grain or shaving in the direction of our hair growth produces a better closer shave and results. It is much safer and avoids your skin from getting unnecessary injuries.

Rinse your legs after – After shaving, rinse your legs with water to remove the shaving cream, leftover hair, and dirt.

Can Men Shave Their Legs?

People might think that men shouldn’t shave their legs because it doesn’t look ‘manly’. But it is completely fine to shave your legs. As a man, I’ve done it many times and didn’t regret my decision.

You shouldn’t be controlled by what other people say about you or what you do and you’re the only one who decides what’s good for yourself.

Also Read: Do You Wear Underwear With Running Shorts?

Conclusion

Ultimately, shaving your legs is a personal preference as there is little to no improvement in running performance when your legs are shaved.

It will not slow you down nor make you faster, other runners just find the look of hairless legs nice, or the comfort of it. But athletes like cyclists and swimmers do shave their legs to gain even the slightest advantage like reducing friction and drag.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What Razor To Use?

There is no doubt that the brand Gillette is the most popular brand among other razor brands
for a good reason.

They market their blades as the best and most comfortable to use while maintaining quality in
shaving.

I recommend Gillette Mach 3 Men’s Razor. Visit the Gillette Store.

Q: What Shaving Cream Can I Use?

I’ve been using the Gillette PRO Shaving Gel For Men. It feels smooth and fresh on the skin and is recommended by many.

Q: Are There Any Other Sports That Need To Shave Their Legs?

Cyclists shave their legs for an aerodynamic benefit or to show that they are fully committed to cycling.

Swimmers, on the other hand, shave their legs to reduce drag and sense the water better.

Another sport that is recommended to shave is MMA. Getting grappled and pinned down on the ground is a bad situation to be in, not having any body hair can be an advantage due to the smooth skin. It is important for fighters to be slippery and smooth.