After intense physical activity, a series of bacteria are dedicated to breaking down the chains of fatty acids , hormones and sulfur compounds present in sweat into volatile and foul-smelling molecules.
But we don't all smell the same, and part of the blame for attacking other people's pituitaries is the clothes you wear, as a group of researchers have just found.
As explained in the specialized publication Applied and Eviromental Microbiology , the study authors collected 26 shirts from volunteers who had performed an intensive spinning session.
28 hours later, a panel of scent experts sniffed the garments and delivered their verdict: Polyester T-shirts were certainly more stuffy than cotton.
Bacteria of the genus Micrococcus, which, as the experiment shows, appear to grow better on polyester are the main culprits for unpleasant effluvia on fabrics. Until scientists find out why this happens, their recommendation is clear; If you have body odor problems, better wear cotton clothing.
