What is jogger’s nipple and how to prevent it?

We’ve surely all experienced this during our exercising journey – the dreaded jogger’s nipple. Thankfully, there are myriad ways to treat it and also, more importantly, prevent it. James Witts provides everything you need to know about this run-ruining condition…

What is jogger’s nipple?

Jogger’s nipple is the polite way to describe your nipples becoming sensitive and chafing after a period of jogging or running. As the chafing worsens, the skin becomes even more irritated and can even leave to bleeding.

Jogger’s nipple is more prevalent in triathletes and runners who run long distances. It is potentially a greater problem in the winter months when the cool air makes the nipples more erect.

Then again, as sweat is one of the main causes of jogger’s nipple (see What causes it? below), it isn’t great in summer, either!

One study from Brazil discovered that 35.7% of athletes who ran 40 miles a week or more endured jogger’s nipple compared to just 3.6% of those clocking up fewer than 15 miles a week.

What causes jogger’s nipple?

In short, friction, in much the same way that you might suffer blisters on the soles of your feet after a long run. The nipple is a vulnerable area because it is thin and sensitive.

As you vertically oscillate with every stride, so does your run top. As the run continues, with every stride your run top becomes sweatier and sweatier. This begins to weigh down your top, causing ever-greater irritation between you and your garment.

Cotton run tops can be a common culprit as they don’t wick sweat away from the body very efficiently, and so cling onto the sweat and make it heavier. As sweat is one of the root causes, too, it can be even more problematic in the hot, summer months.

What does jogger’s nipple feel like?

Jogger’s nipple starts out as an uncomfortable but mild burning sensation. It then begins to sting and sting, resulting in deep irritation, pain and bleeding.

This can be somewhat tempered during your long runs by the release of adrenaline and endorphins. These hormones can dampen the pain response in your nervous system so that you’re not slowed down by injuries.

It is an evolutionary mechanism, fight or flight, when simply living day by day proved a battlefield with other, dangerous animals.

The problems really begin when you slow down and stop. That’s because both pain-dampening hormones return to baseline levels, meaning the pain that’s been masked suddenly becomes very real and very painful!

How do you prevent jogger’s nipple?

Thankfully, there are many, many ways to boost your chances of preventing jogger’s nipple. These are…

• Clothing choice. As we highlighted above, sweat is a major contributor to jogger’s nipple, especially when it builds up and clings to your run top. Again, as we highlighted above, this is a bigger problem with cotton tops, which are hydrophilic by nature. This means they retain water. If you want to see this in action, simply drop a few droplets of water on a ball of cotton and it will soak it up like a sponge. Textile engineers have conjured up a term for this: the moisture regain value. This is found by dividing the mass of water in a saturated fabric by the mass of dry fabric. Cotton is around 8.5%. What does this mean? As an example, a 200g cotton sample would bloat to a mass of 217g when wet (mass of water divided by mass of dry fabric = 17g. Divide that by 200g and you get 8.5%). It’s why you should banish cotton run tops and go for a top constructed from a high-wicking fabric like polyester. Wicking is how well a material removes moisture (sweat) from your body to the outside. Polyester’s great at this and so has a moisture regain of just 0.4%. In other words, a 200g polyester sample when wet would weigh just 0.8g more at 200.8g.

• Sprinkle a little talcum powder. As many of you will know who have had babies, talc is a mineral that absorbs moisture when it is in its powdered state. As dry nipples are much less likely to chafe, be irritated and then bleed, try covering your nipples in talcum powder or alum powder before long runs. Talcum powder also helps to reduce friction between nipple and run top, which is another big win.

• Apply a bandage. Another way to reduce chafing is by adding an extra barrier. Some triathletes and runners might use a bandage. Adhesive tape is another option but go for one that is specially designed for runners. If you use any kind of adhesive tape, it can become stuck to your nipples, which will cause bigger, even more painful issues when you try to remove it! Plasters could also do the trick.

• Wear a sports bra. This is obviously one for female triathletes and runners. If you currently run without a bra, that will cause greater issues than it would for men because of the greater oscillation and increase in friction. So, go for a sports bra. These semi-synthetic, soft and form-fitting sports bras are designed to keep you stable while you run, which will reduce movement, drop friction, and slash the chances of chafing and jogger’s nipple.

• Use an anti-chafing cream. Of course, the thought of applying some form of plaster or bandage upon one’s nipples won’t appeal to all. That’s where a lubricant like petroleum jelly or Vaseline comes in. This layer of protection again creates a barrier and so reduces chafing. You can also find anti-chafing lubricants specifically designed for triathletes and runners that you could apply before your next long outing.

How to treat it

While prevention is always better than cure, despite your best efforts you could still suffer from jogger’s nipple. If that is you, follow these treatment tips and you should be pain-free, less irritable and running strong in no time…

Clean the affected area. This might not be the most appetising prospect as you could be red, sore, flaking and even bleeding, but it is vital to avoid infection and begin the healing process.

You should clean the nipple(s) and surrounding area(s) with mild soap and warm water. Avoid using any cleaning product that contains loads and loads of additional chemicals, which could further aggravate the painful area.

Once you’re happy that it’s clean, ensure you dry thoroughly but delicately.

Cover and protect. You should place a breathable gauze onto the painful area and keep in place with athletic tape. This will provide a much-needed extra layer between you and any garment that you’re wearing to prevent further chafing.

Cream application. If your nipples remain sore and cracked, you might have to see your local GP or doctor as it might have become infected and you’ll need antibiotic cream.

Alternatively, if your nipples remain swollen and inflamed, your doctor might prescribe you a steroid cream like hydrocortisone.

Jogger’s nipple is a painful condition caused by increasing friction between your run top or bra and your nipples. It causes chafing, which can be painful and even result in bleeding. Thankfully, with the right preparatory work, it can be avoided.

Top image credit: Getty Images