Fashioned Cotton
I still remember the first time I watched a marathon and stood by the finish line watching the runners come in after running 26.2 miles. I was in awe at the strength & power many of them had coming in to the finish after running the distance. But I also remember a few sorry looking souls running in wearing the souvenir marathon t-shirt stained with blood from their nipples to their waist band. I don't know about you, but I don't want my finish-line photo to show me bleeding from the nipples!
Now the topic of nipple chafing is primarily a men's issue, because most women run with a sports bra that provides adequate protection against this painful injury. And it usually doesn't come up on short runs. I always take precautions when running greater than an hour..
If you don't want to suffer chafed or bleeding nipples, here are some tips (pardon the pun):
Tip #1 - Banish the Cotton
Most runners know that cotton is not a friendly running fabric. It soaks up moisture (aka sweat) and becomes quite abrasive and irritating when wet. Moisture management fabrics - such as coolmax - wick moisture away from the skin and don't become as abrasive as cotton when wet. Keep your cotton wear for after the run, when you need some warmup clothes and get into moisture management fabrics for running.
Tip #2 - Lubricate
There are a number of lubricants - one popular with runners is BodyGlide - that go on the skin and help to prevent chafing. This one comes in a stick form like an antiperspirant and is easy to apply. Some runners swear by good old fashioned vaseline. Lubricants work by letting the fabric glide over the skin and also provide a bit of a barrier against abrasion. Be aware that these body lubricants will tend to wear off over time and may need to be reapplied after an hour or so. So - if you decide to use a lubricant on a long run - you may need to carry it with you so you can keep ahead of your sweat!
Tip #3 - Physical Barriers
In addition to wearing only moisture management fabrics when running, I choose to wear a physical barrier against abrasion on my long runs. There are a number of solutions and each runner seems to have their own preference. Many choose bandaids. Simply taping a bandaid over the nipple provides an inexpensive solution protecting the nipple and they are easily applied and removed. I have found - however - that some bandaids don't adhere well on a long run when there is a lot of perspiration involved. Medical tape - such as 3M's Transpore tape - also works well and does usually stick well in spite of perspiration. Now there is a downside to taping: if you have a hairy chest, you will inevitably pull hair each time you remove the tape. Ouch!
There is another physical barrier that protects the nipples without a lot of adhesive. It is called the NipGuard. These are specially designed adhesive guards that stick to the base of the nipple (the areola) which is usually pretty hairless. The adhesive is guaranteed by the manufacturer to stick. Not only that, but they promote their use during triathlon, guaranteeing they will stay on through the swim, the bike and the run. For running, I can personally vouch for them and have used them extensively for virtually all of my long runs.
So there you have it. Protect your nipples. Enjoy the 'burn' that comes with a great run but avoid the sting that comes from chafed nipples.
Jim Oldfield learned to run later in life, taking himself from the couch to the marathon in less than a year and a half. He's passionate about running and developed the Running Is Easy audio coaching series to help share his love of running with others.
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