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Maya Henderson

When you workout, do you prefer a thong, boyshorts or to go commando? What do you wear when you sweat down there? I like a cotton barrier of protection between my spandex gym apparel and my lady parts, but apparently I'm in the minority.

The other day in yoga, as I watched the instructor lift her leg over her shoulder to get into Supta Kurmasana, I realized there was no way she was wearing undies beneath her short shorts. Then I took a quick glance around the room and it seemed that, although the ladies were clad in everything from barely-there bottoms to camel toe-licious leggings, no one had a visible panty line or whale tail.

The next day I surveyed a group of my active friends, two runners, a few yoginis and a couple of group fitness junkies and all but one said they "free ball it" when they workout. So, was I wrong in thinking that, with all that sweat going on, I was just asking for unwanted bacteria and yeast infections? I asked fellow ChicagoNow bloggers the Doctor's Next Door to weight in and this is what Dr. Carrie wrote:

"To summarize briefly, not wearing undies won't increase the chance of a yeast infection. I suppose most people wear their yoga pants before several times before washing- if so, the main issue is with bacterial growth which can cause an odor. If they wear them only once then wash, no biggie."

So, turns out I was right and wrong. I guess you don't need to wear underwear, but if you're a heavy sweater (and not wearing running shorts with built-in protection), it's probably a good deal if you do. Since I'm a dirty bird who doesn't always shower immediately after intense workouts (hey, sometimes I just gotta get home and eat or I'm compelled to blog), I've researched a few styles of quick drying, moisture-wicking underwear ideal for active women.

So, turns out I was right and wrong. I guess you don't need to wear underwear, but if you're a heavy sweater (and not wearing running shorts with built-in protection), it's probably a good deal if you do. Since I'm a dirty bird who doesn't always shower immediately after intense workouts (hey, sometimes I just gotta get home and eat or I'm compelled to blog), I've researched a few styles of quick drying, moisture-wicking underwear ideal for active women.

Moving Comfort- Fitness apparel company Moving Comfort makes the Solstice and Metro underwear collections, which are available exclusively online. The Solstice is a seamless mesh and the Micro is made from Coolmax. Both styles are breathable and moisture-wicking. Most notably, they have a much more modest cut than most styles and cost about half as much ($6-$7 per pair).

Lululemon- Okay, so I know I write a lot about Lululemon,but it's only because I love their products. I love the techinithong and technikini. They're made of a sheer mesh that keeps you cool when you sweat and don't give you a nasty wedgie while in motion.

The Featherlight collection (pictured at top, $18) is seamless, so you don't have to worry about panty lines on days you don't feel up to a thong and they come in cool colors and patterns. I actually prefer to wear these silky and soft boyshorts when I'm just running errands because they're so comfortable.

Nike - The Nike Pro Core 2.5" Compression Shorts can be worn alone or layered under athletic gear. They have a flattering wide waistband, come in a variety of colors and are made with Nike Pro technology, which dries quickly and moves moisture away from the skin. I don't own a pair of these, but they've received an average of 4.57 out of 5 stars from customer reviews.