Gym Equipment Contains 362 Times More Bacteria Than Toilet Seat? | Snopes.com

For years, rumors have spread online about a report that allegedly found free weights and other exercise equipment at gyms have 362 times more bacteria on them than a toilet seat. That statistic, widely shared on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Threads in late October 2024, raised concerns over the hygiene of bodybuilding equipment.

"That's why you wipe the equipment before and after use," one Facebook user commented, while an Instagram user wrote: "And that's why I dnt go to the gym."

(Facebook user Akash Singh)

The alleged findings of the report were covered by mainstream news outlets, such as CBS News, Business Insider, or Chicago Tribune.

In short, a 2016 report by FitRated, a fitness equipment review website, did conclude that gym equipment contains 362 times more bacteria than toilet seats. However, the report was not a scientific study. Its findings were based on bacteria samples from 27 pieces of gym equipment across three gyms, and the toilet seat comparison used data from an unrelated experiment in two Michigan elementary schools.

According to FitRated, the testing on gym equipment was done by EmLab P&K, a laboratory specializing in the analysis of air and surface samples, using swabs to calculate colony-forming units (CFUs), a measure of viable bacterial cells.

Below is the full "Methodology" section of the report, as detailed on the FitRated website:

EmLab P&K performed all laboratory testing. The numbers presented are an average of all like samples taken. Samples were collected from three different gym locations. All three gyms are members of chains with locations nationally. Items swabbed in each gym were three treadmills, three exercise bikes, and three free weights.

Less than one percent of organisms found were yeast. We excluded yeast findings from our project because it is not categorized as bacteria.

The report lacked clear documentation of how results were collected, and it did not appear to have undergone proofreading or rigorous quality control. Methodological details, such as specific sampling techniques, frequency of sample collection and whether the process was standardized across locations, were absent.

Snopes reached out to FitRated for comment and we will update this report if we receive a response.

The assertion that free weights in gyms have 362 times more bacteria than a toilet seat came from a comparison of colony-forming units (CFUs) found on each. While the laboratory used by FitRated recorded 1,158,381 CFUs on gym free weights, the figure of 3,200 CFUs on toilet seats came from an experiment conducted by the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) in two elementary schools in Michigan.

(fitrated.com)

NSF collected bacterial samples from various surfaces frequently touched by children, aiming to identify areas that need attention from school staff to maintain hygiene. According to the findings, toilet seats in schools averaged 3,200 CFUs per square inch (see table below).

(www.nsf.org)

The NSF website clarified that "these findings are a snapshot in time at these particular schools," emphasizing that the study was not intended to be representative of all schools.