In the days before the London Marathon last year, scientists from the University of Portsmouth in England approached female racers and asked them to complete a questionnaire about their exercise habits and breast health.
Sore breasts are a common experience among women of all ages and sizes, athletes and non-athletes alike.
But scientists had not examined whether and to what extent exercise contributes to breast pain and, conversely, whether breast pain alters how women exercise.
They surveyed almost 1,300 women and learned, as their study, published in March in The British Journal of Sports Medicine , makes clear, that exercise does affect breast pain and vice versa.
Of course, exercise influences virtually every tissue in the body. Breast tissue is unusual, however, being weighty, even in small-breasted women, but with little anatomical support.
On the move
Earlier research by the Portsmouth scientists established that unsupported breasts – those not contained within a bra – oscillate as much as eight inches in space when a woman runs.
Even when volunteers wore a standard sports bra, scientists found their breasts often swayed considerably during running. But whether this motion was linked to later soreness was unclear.
Which is why the researchers set out to examine the consequences of being an active woman with sore breasts.
"It is an important quality of life issue for women," said Nicola Brown, a lecturer in exercise science at Saint Mary's University College, London and the lead author of the study.
Wide spectrum
The marathon survey
provided data about women with 56 different bra sizes, from an AA cup to an HH and chest-band sizes from 28 to 40 inches. They ranged widely in weight, too, with the average being about 148 pounds. More than 90 per cent said they always wore a bra.
More than a third reported that their breasts were often sore, although not necessarily because of exercise. The most common cause was hormonal changes associated with the menstrual cycle.
The incidence of pain was highest among the women with the largest breasts. More than half of those wearing an F cup or larger reported frequent pain. While about 25 per cent of those in an A cup or smaller said their breasts were often sore.
For many, exercise induced or aggravated soreness and this often altered how they trained. About a quarter said they reduced the intensity of their workouts when their breasts hurt.
Dr Brown said a well-fitting, supportive bra had been shown to lessen breast pain in about 85 per cent of women. The research group has published an online guide to bra fitting at http://iti.ms/134RmC4.
– (New York Times)
