The effect of female breast surface area on skin stiffness and tactile sensitivity at rest and following exercise in the heat
The effect of female breast surface area on skin stiffness and tactile sensitivity at rest and following exercise in the heat
Female development includes significant morphological changes across the breast. Yet, whether differences in breast surface area (BrSA) modify breast skin stiffness and tactile sensitivity at rest and after exercise in the heat remain unclear. We investigated the relationship between BrSA and skin stiffness and tactile sensitivity in 20 young to middle-aged women (27 ± 8 years of age) of varying breast sizes (BrSA range: 147-502 cm 2) at rest and after a submaximal run in a warm climatic chamber (32 C ± 0 . 6 C ; 53% ± 1.7% relative humidity). Skin stiffness above and below the nipple and tactile sensitivity from the nipple down were measured. Associations between BrSA and both skin stiffness and tactile sensitivity at rest were determined via correlation analyses. Effects of exercise and test site were assessed by a two-way ANOVA. Skin stiffness was positively correlated with BrSA 3 cm above the areola edge (r = 0.61, P = 0.005) and at the superior areola border (r = 0.54, P = 0.016), but not below the nipple (P > 0.05). The area 3 cm below the areola was also significantly stiffer than all other test sites (P < 0.043). Tactile sensitivity did not vary with BrSA (P > 0.09), but it varied across the breast (i.e., the area 3 cm below the areola was more sensitive than the inferior areola edge; P = 0.018). Skin stiffness and tactile sensitivity across the breast decreased after exercise by ∼37% (P < 0.001) and ∼45% (P = 0.008), respectively. These findings expand our fundamental understanding of the mechanosensory properties of the female breast, and they could help to inform sportswear innovation to better meet the support needs of women of different breast sizes at rest and following exercise.
breast, exercise, female, skin mechanics, tactile sensation
Blount, Hannah
18ae3446-5435-4631-b8df-ee957494c304
Valenza, Alessandro
60b629a5-c527-4137-8efb-6670b165d319
Ward, Jade
46e85414-ec11-42f9-bfec-b0f8b85b7abf
Caggiari, Silvia
5ec3fb71-9706-4394-8ea3-495a5f01e3ee
Worsley, Peter R.
44bc022c-0bea-4df9-bfb7-f3469992bfa1
Filingeri, Davide
42502a34-e7e6-4b49-b304-ce2ae0bf7b24
Blount, Hannah
18ae3446-5435-4631-b8df-ee957494c304
Valenza, Alessandro
60b629a5-c527-4137-8efb-6670b165d319
Ward, Jade
46e85414-ec11-42f9-bfec-b0f8b85b7abf
Caggiari, Silvia
5ec3fb71-9706-4394-8ea3-495a5f01e3ee
Worsley, Peter R.
44bc022c-0bea-4df9-bfb7-f3469992bfa1
Filingeri, Davide
42502a34-e7e6-4b49-b304-ce2ae0bf7b24
Blount, Hannah, Valenza, Alessandro, Ward, Jade, Caggiari, Silvia, Worsley, Peter R. and Filingeri, Davide
(2024)
The effect of female breast surface area on skin stiffness and tactile sensitivity at rest and following exercise in the heat.
Experimental Physiology.
(doi:10.1113/EP091990).
Abstract
Female development includes significant morphological changes across the breast. Yet, whether differences in breast surface area (BrSA) modify breast skin stiffness and tactile sensitivity at rest and after exercise in the heat remain unclear. We investigated the relationship between BrSA and skin stiffness and tactile sensitivity in 20 young to middle-aged women (27 ± 8 years of age) of varying breast sizes (BrSA range: 147-502 cm 2) at rest and after a submaximal run in a warm climatic chamber (32 C ± 0 . 6 C ; 53% ± 1.7% relative humidity). Skin stiffness above and below the nipple and tactile sensitivity from the nipple down were measured. Associations between BrSA and both skin stiffness and tactile sensitivity at rest were determined via correlation analyses. Effects of exercise and test site were assessed by a two-way ANOVA. Skin stiffness was positively correlated with BrSA 3 cm above the areola edge (r = 0.61, P = 0.005) and at the superior areola border (r = 0.54, P = 0.016), but not below the nipple (P > 0.05). The area 3 cm below the areola was also significantly stiffer than all other test sites (P < 0.043). Tactile sensitivity did not vary with BrSA (P > 0.09), but it varied across the breast (i.e., the area 3 cm below the areola was more sensitive than the inferior areola edge; P = 0.018). Skin stiffness and tactile sensitivity across the breast decreased after exercise by ∼37% (P < 0.001) and ∼45% (P = 0.008), respectively. These findings expand our fundamental understanding of the mechanosensory properties of the female breast, and they could help to inform sportswear innovation to better meet the support needs of women of different breast sizes at rest and following exercise.
Text
2024_BreastStiff_ExpPhys
- Version of Record
Spreadsheet
Supplementary Material_Stiffness Data
More information
Accepted/In Press date: 29 July 2024
e-pub ahead of print date: 22 August 2024
Additional Information:
For the purpose of open access, the authors have applied a Creative Commons attribution license (CC BY) to any author accepted manuscript version arising from this submission.
Keywords:
breast, exercise, female, skin mechanics, tactile sensation
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 494111
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/494111
ISSN: 0958-0670
PURE UUID: 93137d8a-f7c7-43b5-8d72-bd47952712cd
Catalogue record
Date deposited: 24 Sep 2024 16:38
Last modified: 25 Sep 2024 02:04
Export record
Altmetrics
Contributors
Author:
Hannah Blount
Author:
Alessandro Valenza
Author:
Jade Ward
Author:
Silvia Caggiari
Author:
Peter R. Worsley
Download statistics
Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.
View more statistics