A rash guard is an athletic gear. It is made either lycra, nylon or polyester. Rash guards were originally designed for watersports. They provide excellent sunscreen and also prevent skin irritation that arises due to rapid impact with water. But currently, rash guards have gained acceptance in many sports such as mixed martial arts (MMA), baseball, football, water polo and soccer. Originally designed in Australia, currently around 90% of all rash guards available in wholesale or retail is manufactured in the United States.

Rash guards are gaining increasing popularity, especially in MMA. This sport apparel offers comfort, style and protection against skin rashes. Hence, rash guards help a fighter to give their optimum performance.

Martial arts fighters rely on rash guards for skin protection. In the world of martial arts, rash guards are referred as ‘under armor shirts’. Martial art techniques such as grappling involve a lot of skin contact. Constant skin to skin contact may lead to the development of irritating skin rash. This is completely undesirable. Skin rashes can trigger and pose a major distraction during fights. Hence, it can hamper the overall performance of a fighter.

Wearing a rash guard avoids direct skin contact. While grappling, it prevents direct skin contact while gripping and holding the opponent. Rash guards provide vital protection especially in martial arts techniques such as Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

The reason behind the success and popularity of rash guards lies in the moisture-wicking properties within the fabric of the apparel. The rate of evaporation of sweat from the fabric of rash guards is much faster compared to regular fabrics. Moreover, they have a tight body fitting. This type of compression fitting limits the development of rash. It also makes it very difficult for the opponent to have a good grip or grab the fighter during the match.