The scene is all too familiar for anyone who has finished a half or full marathon – two large streaks of blood running down the front of another participant’s shirt. I vividly remember this experience during my first marathon – unfortunately I was the one that everyone was staring at. For those of you who have not experienced this rite of passage into the world of running and walking, please listen. As an athlete, friction is our enemy.
As a new or novice runner or walker you may not be able to imagine how much friction can develop as our shirt or singlet rubs against our chest and nipples. After all, most of us wear shirts throughout the day at work or home and don’t have to worry about chaffing. What makes our long workouts or race day so different? First is the distance – the more steps we take, the more times our shirt will rub against our chest. In addition, during these longer workouts we will sweat a little more than we would on our normal training runs during the week. Sweat is composed of water with salt and other electrolytes. I’m sure everyone has seen someone with white crust around their face after a work out. That white crust represents the salt and other electrolytes that were lost during the workout. Just like the grit on a piece of sandpaper, the salt and other electrolytes excreted in our sweat are very abrasive to the skin. These two elements work together to create the perfect storm that labeled me a rookie during my first marathon.
As a family medicine physician, I occasionally have to provide professional advice to a new mother on breast feeding. You might ask yourself, what does breast feeding have to do with chaffing. Ask any women who has breast fed a child and you will find your answer. It should be noted that the skin around the nipple is not capable of forming calluses or “toughing” up. This news is never very welcomed by the new mother. We should learn a lesson from all the mothers out there – trying to suffer through chaffing hoping that your chest and nipples will get accustomed to the friction is a painless exercise in futility. Prevention is the key to chaffing. There are many tricks to avoid it.. The first and most commonly used method is covering the nipples with Band-Aids. This is the method that I have found most successful. There is even a company that developed a product called “nipguards” that are designed specifically for this purpose. I prefer cheaper spot Band-Aids from your local drug store. I typically buy the clear version so that I’m not embarrassed walking through the locker room at my exercise club after I’ve forgot to take them off. The other commonly employed method for prevention is Vaseline or Body Glide. I find that both of these are effective but can sometimes leave a yellowish tint to your running clothes. However, I do find that they can be very effective in other areas that are prone to chaffing – between the thighs or under arms. For women, I highly recommend being fitted for a proper running bra. When I am standing in the finish line chute greeting all of the finishers I hope I don’t see any of those scarlet streaks.