I am writing on behalf of my boyfriend, a professional bmx bicycle rider. About 6 weeks ago he started experiencing a sticky feeling on his palms which would build to the point that it actually became sticky but slippery on his handlebar grips when he is riding, (dangerous,) and there was a black transfer presumably coming from the handlebar grips. I am wondering if anyone has any suggestions. Though he does have a fungal infection in his toenails, which has proven untreatable with Lamasil, it seems unlikely that it would be this as he has had that problem for almost 10 years but is only experiencing this sticky skin now. The only changes we can see him having made in this time frame, after 20 plus years of riding in humid conditions all over the world are:
1. He was given new handlebar grips to try with a new rubber compound from Taiwan and shortly after noticed this problem. He has since changed back to the old ones which never gave him trouble before he tried those new grips, but they are now making his hands do the same slippery/sticky thing.
2. He mistakenly bought Johnson and Johnson baby powder made from 100% pure cornstarch instead of the regular talc based kind he has been using for years. He threw that away 3 days ago and is not using ANY baby powder. The black transfer has lessened alot, but the sticky/slippery feeling is as bad as ever.
3. Instead of drinking Gatorade he started drinking Cytomax, not the protein drink kind but the one that operates in the same way as Gatorade.
Any ideas which of these contributers it could be? Could it be the rubber compound or cornstarch, or a reaction to it?
The Cytomax seems unlikely to me. Is anyone else experiencing something similar? If anyone has any thoughts or suggestions they would be very welcome. He is coming to place where he feels his body is turning against him, a difficult frame of mind for a pro athlete, or anyone for that matter.