New Zealand Listener – June 01, 2019

34 LISTENER JUNE 1 2019

by Ruth Nichol

HEALTH

ThisLife

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exercise science at the

University of Canberra,

did the research while

completing a PhD in

breast biomechanics at

the University of Wol-

longong, home to Breast

Research Australia (BRA).

She says breast size

is often overlooked as a factor that

discourages women from exercis-

ing. This is particularly true for the

overweight or obese, who are also

more likely to have large breasts.

Of the 43 women in her study with

hypertrophic breasts, 77.6% had a

body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more

(the definition of obesity), compared

with just 3.1% of the 98 women with

small breasts.

In previous research, Coltman

found that those with an over-

weight BMI (25-29.9) had twice the

breast volume on average of those

with a non-overweight BMI, and

obese women had three times the

volume.

“When you consider how prevalent

Fronting up

to discomfort

Insufficient breast support

is a barrier to exercise for

many women, but with the

right sports bra, there can

be less bounce in your step.

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Celeste Coltman

E

ven small-breasted women can have

breast discomfort while exercising. But

the larger her breasts, the more likely a

woman is to experience pain and tender-

ness during physical activity, particularly

vigorous types such as jogging, aerobics,

competitive tennis and even horse

riding. According to Australian researcher Celeste

Coltman, just 2cm of breast motion can cause dis-

comfort during exercise. Given that larger breasts, if

not properly supported, can move up and down by

up to 19cm while running or jumping, it’s hardly

surprising she has found that breast size

affects both how much exercise women

do and how vigorously they do it.

In a recent study published in the

Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport,

Coltman reported that those with

“hypertrophic” breasts (a volume of

1200ml or more) did significantly less

weekly physical activity than those

with small breasts (less than 350ml),

and also 53% less vigorous-intensity activity.

The larger the breasts of the 355 women in the

study, the more likely they were to agree that breast

size affected their physical activity.

Coltman, now an assistant professor of sport and