How to Prevent Sore and Bloody Nipples

It happens to most of us at some point in our training or racing - the dreaded sore or bloody nipples. If you’ve experienced bloody nipples, you know they are painful and often embarrassing! Bloody nipples are typically caused by running while wearing a loose fitting shirt or with the wrong type of shirt. The “bouncing” movement of running causes loose fitting shirts to continuously rub against the nipples. This friction causes the irritation and associated bleeding. Cotton shirts are especially bad because cotton absorbs sweat. The absorbed sweat adds weight to the cotton shirt and creates more bounce and friction.

There are two main tricks to prevent sore and bloody nipples. First, wear a tight fitting top that hugs your skin and is made of a technical, moisture-wicking fabric, such as polyester or Dri-FIT (Nike’s name for polyester). This will minimize the friction, but will not completely eliminate it. The second tip, and most effective, is to use an anti-chafe product, such as BodyGlide. BodyGlide is an anti-chafe lubricant that comes in a stick similar to a deodorant roll-on stick. A single application of BodyGlide will last an entire day. BodyGlide has even lasted through entire Ironman triathlons – through up to 17 hours of swimming, biking, and running.

Before your next long run or endurance race be sure to don a tight technical shirt and lube up with BodyGlide. Your nipples will thank you!