How are my Boobs Impacted When Running?

How are my Boobs Impacted When Running?

Believe it or not, our boobs are often more involved in running than most of us would like! Don’t get me wrong - boobs are great for many things, but we don’t really want to be thinking about them when running, and they can often get in the way.

What is Breast Bounce?

You may have heard of breast bounce, which is the movement or bouncing of our breasts with exercise. Our tatas are quite special in that they can move in many different directions including up/down, side/side, in/out and even in circles!

The Pain of Running Without Support

You may have also noticed that when you jump or run without a bra, that the bounce of your boobs can be quite painful. This pain is associated with increased discomfort, reduced sports performance and can even sometimes be the reason why some women choose not to participate in sports at all! None of us should have to put up with this.

The Surprising Distance Breasts Travel During a Marathon

Fun (and possibly scary) fact for you…we know from the research that an unsupported D cup breast can move up/down 12cm with each step, which over a marathon run would equate to over 6km. An unsupported A cup breast will travel over 2km over the same distance - so those in the itty bitty titty committee (like me) aren’t immune.

Understanding Breast Anatomy

I’m going to get a little bit nerdy now and highlight the anatomy of the female breast a little closer. Did you know that breast tissue actually extends from our breast bones to our armpits, and all the way up towards our collarbones? Quite a large surface area if you ask me!

Interestingly, our boobs don’t actually have a very strong natural support structure. In fact the main support structure is our skin - crazy to think! Particularly as we all know that our skin can stretch and move, and change as we age.

Breast Composition and Hormonal Influence

Our breasts are also made up of glandular tissue (milk ducts and milk lobules) and fatty tissue. Glandular tissue will change in size over a females life stages including pregnancy and breastfeeding, and post menopause. This is because our breast tissue is influenced by our female sex hormones estrogen and progesterone.

These even have an effect at different times in our menstrual cycle, where our milk glands and lobules can change in size, sometimes causing swelling and pain. The technical term for this is cyclical mastalgia - ouch!

Why a Good Sports Bra is Essential

No matter your age or stage of life, I can’t stress enough how important a good sports bra is for your running journey. We pay so much attention to making sure that we have the perfect shoes, why not make sure we have the perfect bra too?

I’ve popped my top tips on what to look for in a sports bra below. Note - often the best sports bras aren’t the sexiest, sorry! Next time you are browsing the stores for your next sports bra, take this list with you and hopefully it helps!

• Make sure the bra covers the entire surface area of breast tissue - as high as just below your collarbone is great!
• Try to jump up/down in the store x 10 and assess for any excessive bounce or pain, or moving of the bra around the sides of your ribs.
• Check that the bra isn’t digging in to your neck and shoulders.
• Take note of different times in your cycle where you may need to size up or down.

Final Thoughts

Good luck and remember, your boobs aren’t meant to travel 6km when you run a marathon. Strap them in with a good sports bra, and let them enjoy the ride in comfort!