How to Keep Nipples From Bleeding During a Long Run or Marathon

Endurance athletes have a number of chafing issues to deal with, the most obvious of which is the nipple. More commonly, this happens with men, although women are not exempt if wearing a bad sports bra. To keep your chest from chafing, which can lead to bleeding followed by scar tissue, follow these precautions.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Vaseline or BodyGlide
• NipGuards or Band-Aids

1. Dress properly. Wear loose-fitting shirts, and always wash before wearing. Choose synthetic, sweat-wicking fabric as your base layer.

2. Hydrate. You need fluid to sweat, and you need sweat to cool yourself off. Without enough fluid, the sweat will dry up, leaving salt flakes that irritate the skin.

3. Lube properly. Cover chafe-prone areas with Bodyglide, Vaseline, NipGuards, or Band-Aids. Some say that Vaseline wears off quicker than Bodyglide. You may have to try a couple to find out which one works best for you.

4. Remove nipple rings. Nipple rings look cool; but after 20 miles of running, they won’t feel very hip.

Tips & Warnings

• If your nipples are bleeding but you’re not chafing, visit your doctor, pronto!