March 9, 2019

"Past biomechanical studies show that when women run braless, their breasts joggle up and down by seven inches or more and also oscillate side to side...."

"... A 2013 questionnaire provided to women running the London Marathon found that more than a third of them, including runners with small breasts, told the researchers that their breasts often felt sore. But little past research has explored whether breast size and potential soreness affect women’s decisions to participate in exercise or if they influence the kinds of exercise that women might — or might not — pursue. So, for the new study, which was published this month in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sports, researchers from the Biomechanics Research Laboratory at the University of Wollongong in Australia advertised for women willing to have their breasts measured and discussed. The researchers recruited only women because, obviously, women possess female breasts.... Women with larger breasts, whatever their B.M.I., exercised less on average than those with smaller ones and were more likely to feel that their breast size interfered with moving...."

From "How Breast Size Affects How Women Exercise/As women’s breast sizes grew, their participation in physical activity declined, particularly if that exercise was vigorous" (NYT).

ADDED: From the comments at the NYT, from Mary E:
I had huge girls, and hunted and hunted for supportive sports bras. I was physically active, but high intensity activities like running were out of the question - there was no way I could run down the street without making a spectacle of myself.

Then 11 years ago, I was diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer in one breast. With a strong family history of breast cancer I opted for bilateral mastectomies. I elected DIEP flap reconstruction, which is microsurgery moving fat from the abdomen to the chest to make new “breasts”. I kept telling my plastic surgeon that I wanted nothing bigger than B cups. Bless her heart, she gave me exactly what I wanted. What a relief! I could buy cheapie off the rack sports bras and get full support! I even started running, eventually working my way up to completing a half marathon at the age of 58.

I would give anything to not have had cancer, even to keeping my oversized girls. But since cancer did hit, I was going to do my best to get something good out of it. I wish I’d known what a relief it was to have small breasts, because I would have had breast reduction surgery years ago.

62 comments:

Tom said...

I’m pretty sure we learned this in gym class as kids.

rhhardin said...

It was all worked out in Stress Analysis of a Strapless Evening Gown
https://www.pinterest.es/pin/87116574016048971/

rhhardin said...

How about a run for breast awareness.

Greg Hlatky said...

The researchers recruited only women because, obviously, women possess female breasts....

Transphobic! Burn the heretics!

J. Farmer said...

their breasts joggle up and down by seven inches or more and also oscillate side to side

Otherwise known as the plotline of Baywatch.

FleetUSA said...

Smaller girls = better sex too IMHO

rhhardin said...

You have to subtract out the movement of the women's body from the breast movement. The breasts may be going along serenely in a straight line where the woman is jiggling up and down, for all we know.

Or it might be a resonance case, where the breasts jiggle more.

The Vault Dweller said...

Whenever women talk about their breasts in less than glowing, immaculate terms it saddens me. They are so beautiful and glorious it pains me to hear them not afforded the dignity of their stature.

rhhardin said...

Here's your problem, most likely
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwT0k09w-jw

Chaotic motion from a compound pendulum

rhhardin said...

An active sports bra might solve the problem. A lot of large airplanes are unflyable until they put in active controls to filter out the odd behaviors the airplane would otherwise have. The pilot commands the active controls, and the active controls figure out what he wanted to do and do it.

It's just a matter of putting the right forces on the breast at the right time so that they stay put in jogging. A passive bra can't do it with larger systems.

Lewis Wetzel said...

Pretty soon all the athletes in men's and women's sports will be men and this won't be a problem anymore.

rhhardin said...

If you have hip replacement surgery, ask for narrower hips too. It improves your energy budget in running.

Humperdink said...

Every time I have basil cell carcinoma spot removed I thank my plastic surgeon for participating in my weight loss program.

Birches said...

My sister was a dancer and hated her ample c cups. I have never been sad about my b cups. Finished my second marathon last month. I don't know how big chested women run. It looks painful.

Birches said...

And most big chested women wear two or three sports bras to exercise. Still a lot of flesh to contain.

Krumhorn said...

I would imagine that another more uncomfortable issue would be asymmetrical jiggle flopping all over the place much like the independent aerodynamic slats on the leading edge of the wings of the venerable A-4 Skyhawk jet fighter. The Israelis were so uncomfortable with them popping out asymmetrically in high maneuvering environments that they wired the damn things up. Nobody wants to screw the pooch with your leading edge slats popping out when you are trying to draw a bead in a sweaty encounter and fire your big gun up someone’s tailpipe.

The US Navy and Marine fighter pilots preferred to deliver their loads in a manner that kept the slats fully synchronous in the elevated position on their tracks and bound to the wings with a stable uplifting airflow diring their runs on target usually in a 30 degree dive angle while pulling up sharply after an explosive release. Although 45 degree runs weren’t out of the question depending upon need. But there was no flopping of the slats in either case.

On final approach, the slats were allowed to gently fall into place changing the camber of the airfoil transitioning the airframe to a 15 degree angle of attack. In that dirty configuration with everything hanging out, Naval aviators skillfully hooked the wire on a throbbing pitching undulating deck and ended the hop with no soreness and a sublime sense of relief. Women Naval aviators were sometimes seen quietly massaging their girls after having been thrust sharply into the arresting gear but they didn’t moan about it. They took it well knowing they had had asked for this. They knew how to operate the speed brakes when things got to going too fast God love ‘em.

- Krumhorn

Fernandinande said...

Yes, yes, there are plenty of videos of the various biomechanical studies.

David Begley said...

There is nothing more beautiful than the female breast.

rhhardin said...

There must be an early movie, like of the horse running, of a woman running with large breasts, just to see how it's done. The casual observer misses a lot.

Do women ever have all four feet off the ground? for instance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heRuLp7CyTM
horse video

Bruce Hayden said...

FleetUSA said...
“Smaller girls = better sex too IMHO”

Somewhat agree there, but never really understood why. My two theories are that large breasts make vigorous sex at least uncomfortable, if not even painful, and alternatively that guys so like big ones, and like playing with them, that the women owning them never really learn how they be good in bed. And maybe as a corollary, that really big breasted women somehow are less aware of what is going on down below.

The Godfather said...

Where’s Laslo?

Wince said...

researchers from the Biomechanics Research Laboratory at the University of Wollongong in Australia advertised for women willing to have their breasts measured and discussed. The researchers recruited only women because, obviously, women possess female breasts....

"Of course I'm talking about Delta House, you twerp!"

https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/4da0046d-8ce7-4a6e-b840-1b88423e3622

Wince said...

The researchers recruited only women because, obviously, women possess female breasts....

"You better watch you micro-aggressions, bro!"

MD Greene said...

Like everything else, there are fashions in breast shapes.

In the 1920s Jazz Age, I read once that the (some) men's most admired breast was one that would fill a champagne coupe.

Then in WWII came Bettie Page, then Marilyn Monroe and, later, Dolly Parton who seemed to have had at least two enhancement surgeries (two per girl, that is,) among others. But Dolly always has seemed kind and smart, knowing in a way.

So I don't blame Dolly for what came later, but I do hold a grudge toward Kim Kardashian, who turned to an "aesthetic surgeon" to establish her "brand" with implants that exaggerated her brassiere size and her derriere. Ghastly excess, but given the family, what else could be expected?

That last was rather contagious. Early in the millennium, I knew two young women -- one who worked in an office, the other a single mother who washed hair at the salon I favored -- who both grew very large boobs all of a sudden. The office worker wore nothing but low-cut blouses at work, so proud was she of her decolletage. My guess is this did not enhance her career in a similar fashion.

Now the Stormy Daniels look seems to be, er, sagging. The SI swimsuit girls and even the models for the Victoria's Secret catalog have relatively modest upper carriages (although the latter still are seen sometimes with black leather accessories.)

Just some observations on the trends.

Phil 314 said...

New line heard from husbands after a sharp elbow to the ribs from wife:

“What! I’m doing biomedical research here!”

J. Farmer said...

@Crazy Jane:

In the 1920s Jazz Age, I read once that the (some) men's most admired breast was one that would fill a champagne coupe.

There is an old myth that the champagne coupe was modeled after Marie Antoinette's breast.

I always thought one of the more bizarre trends for the shape of the female bosom were the bullet bras of the 1940s and 1950s. Jean Paul Gaultier appropriated them for Madonna's costumes in the late 1980s.

dbp said...

"Where’s Laslo?"

Krumhorn is filling in for him today.

dbp said...

The lonely lives of scientists.

exhelodrvr1 said...

"There is nothing more beautiful than the female breast."

Two of them.

Rusty said...

All this time, Ive been doing scientific reserch.
"Breasts. Ya seen one. Yer gonna want to see both."

tcrosse said...

"There is nothing more beautiful than the female breast."

Man-boobs less so.

Sebastian said...

"more likely to feel that their breast size interfered with moving"

Like, on a recumbent bike or in a pool?

Dust Bunny Queen said...

"more likely to feel that their breast size interfered with moving"

I guess it is time again for my story about the woman Boss (manager of the financial institution I worked at) playing golf at a tournament with the other managers....mostly men.

She was a great friend and the maid of honor at my wedding. 5'4" tall and with ginormous boobs. Very plain spoken and didn't take shit from anyone. She didn't want to play golf, didn't like golf because it was difficult to "keep your elbows together on a swing" But, had to for corporate reasons.

The guys didn't treat her very well because she wasn't a "great" golfer. Didn't want her on the team as she was a "handicap" to their being able to win.

One guy asked: (snidely) What is your handicap.
Her response: You're looking at 'em.


:-D

Matt said...

Sounds like the researchers were 'transphobic'.

Monsters.

Dust Bunny Queen said...

I forgot to add to the visual of my Boss. 5'4" ginormous boobs and otherwise very trim. Think...Dolly Parton.

iowan2 said...

“Smaller girls = better sex too IMHO”

Breast size is irrelevant to sex. Having dating the spectrum. The only girl I dated that would orgasm with breast nipple stimulation only, was a D cup.

Mark said...

You can put this in the category of unnecessary wasteful spending on a "study" that borders on financial fraud just to come up with a NSS conclusion.

Paul said...

"Past biomechanical studies show that when women run braless, their breasts joggle up and down by seven inches or more and also oscillate side to side...."

No shit? UK just figured that out? What they want them to do, all have a mastectomy?

Mark said...

By the way, the primary issue here is not confined to the women.

TMI, but I could never wear boxers because all that flopping around was rather uncomfortable.

James K said...

Simona Halep had breast reduction surgery early in her tennis career. There are video clips of her playing pre-surgery looking not so comfortable.

Anthony said...

Two breast observations:

1) I you have two black eyes after jogging, you need a better bra.

2) Women in their 20s: "Hey," *points to eyes* "eyes up here!"
Women in their 70s: "Hey," *points to chest* "eyes up here!"

FullMoon said...

rhhardin said...

It was all worked out in Stress Analysis of a Strapless Evening Gown
https://www.pinterest.es/pin/87116574016048971/


I imagine you could use a slide rule to do it.

Birkel said...

Now look at them yo-yo's that's the way you do it
You watch the boobies on the big TV
That ain't workin' that's the way you do it
Money for nothin' and chicks for free.

Now that ain't workin' that's the way you do it
Lemme tell ya them guys ain't dumb
Maybe get a blister on your little finger
Maybe get a blister on your thumb

--almost Dire Straits

BUMBLE BEE said...

It ain't over till Laslo signs on!

rcocean said...

I'd assume that a better fitting sports bra would solve the problem. The whole breast thing is reason no. 453 why women's boxing is so ridiculous. Hit a women in the breasts really hard and she's out of the match.

BTW, women sure do love the "humble-brag"

Birches said...

DBQ, I feel so bad for women like that. The back problems!

My family tends to be smaller chested. One of my cousins got amply compensated. She's probably 5'2". It just looks painful.

Birkel said...

Pictures or it didn't happen.

walter said...

They were doing similar research on The Man Show.

glenn said...

Oscillating side to side? Bounce up and down seven inches? There was a stripper at the Alameda Theater in Sacramento who could do that without jogging.

tcrosse said...

Different styles of Dance require different body types and different amounts of boobage. Ballet, for example, demands a sylphlike silhouette and no poitrine at all. Less elevated forms of Dance call for more flesh.

walter said...

Yes..like the Booty Clap.

Molly said...

(eaglebeak)

Watch that 1969 classic Putney Swope and you'll see some early work in this field.

effinayright said...

FullMoon said...
rhhardin said...

It was all worked out in Stress Analysis of a Strapless Evening Gown
https://www.pinterest.es/pin/87116574016048971/
************

Also known to millions of teenage boys as a Gownless Evening Strap.

Francisco D said...

My wife is short and very large breasted. She runs marathons and half marathons, often taking a prize for her age group (mid 50's).

As such, she values two things quite highly in life: good running shoes and good running bras.

She only has problems when she cheaps out. She did that once with shoes and has amassed several hundred dollars in podiatry bills and several hundred in orthotics.

She has never cheeped out on the bras. Priorities?

Dust Bunny Queen said...

Birches: I feel so bad for women like that. The back problems!

Yes. That is a problem and arthritis in the upper spine neck area eventually. Plus the grooves in your shoulder from bras that are trying to "carry the weight".

My Boss's biggest complaint was trying to find professional clothing "off the rack" that fit. Business women's suits. Skirt and jacket combos or dresses with jackets.

Petite and big busted sucks for buying clothing. Everything had to be hand altered, tailored or hand made for her. Fit the bust circumference... then the shoulder seams were hanging down. Sleeves too long. Jackets too long. If it were a suit, skirt/jacket combo. Even in a petite size, to get the bust size meant that the skirt was gigantic in circumference too!! with a huge waist line.

The assumption by the fashion industry is that if you have a size 38 bust then the rest of you must be large too.

Nothing FIT!!!

walter said...

Boobs will never let you down. But some prefer to let them down:
https://nypost.com/2018/01/19/braless-women-are-taking-over-instagram/

John henry said...

Molly you beat me too it.

Lucky Airlines comercial

Stewardesses

Trampoline

Airplane

Topless

Excellent if too short documentary.

John Henry

John henry said...

Link

https://youtu.be/KioFuZl-ghg

John Henry

eric said...

I am going to start conducting breast studies, on girls of course, because they have breasts.

It's for science, ladies!

The Godfather said...

Speaking of boobs, when I was in college (early ‘60’s), I was in a student production of “Ulysses in Night Town”. The director thought we would benefit from exposure to the demi-mond, so we all trooped down to the strip club in Boston. The “girls” were neither young nor beautiful. Someone pointed out the old guys sitting in the first row, nearest the stage, traditionally known as the “bald men’s row”. They were all masturbating in their rain coats when the girls performed. One of the older employees commented that this place used to have a lot more class. In the old days the bald men didn’t masturbate into their rain coats; they used top hats.

Earnest Prole said...

One word: Winnebagos.

Francisco D said...

One of the older employees commented that this place used to have a lot more class. In the old days the bald men didn’t masturbate into their rain coats; they used top hats.

Priceless!