Really random question/curiosity...

With all the recent reading/talk about the Tarahumara and other indigenous people who do a lot of running without having the injuries and problems we do here, and the fact that they wear minimal or no footwear, I thought of something else that was NOT covered in "Born to Run" or anywhere else that I have seen. I'm sure the women don't have sports bras--what do they use to keep "the girls" under control? Or is their form so smooth that they don't have issues with things bouncing around? :confused: (See, I told you this was really random...) Obviously sports bras haven't been around for very long, so those women must have some solution.

The men don't wear jocks, either...

I don't know, but I'd guess it's more a matter of just being used to it. In some ways, your question sounds so much like the reactions barefooters describe people having to their feet! Just like shoes, if no one's telling them they need something...

Does a sports bra inhibit arm swing and trunk rotation? Does the momentum of a bouncing breast or scrotum actually aid a runner? :eek:

Next year's fad: naked barefoot running. ;)

I've met / seen some of the women, and they're tiny, small in stature and build. I'm 5ft 3 inches, and am "tall" next to some of them. Plus you have to remember that their community doesn't drive to FastFoodChain for a burger and fries for a quick lunch - someone actually fixes real meals - which would probably be considered meager by some standards.

And if I recall correctly, it's the men that do most of the running.

I think overall some of our injury problems are from the desk job / occasional athlete issues. Anthropologists have looked at bones of indigenous peoples and found that they do have injuries, they just continue to move. What is the life span of the Tarahumara Peoples? That would give an indication on their injury recovery rate. For us, a broken leg is something that can be fixed and recovered fully from; for them, it might just kill them. I've been in the heart of the Sierra Madres of northern Mexico and time could have stood still 100 years ago. It is truly a 3rd world country. Food was being packed in to a ranch by mule train, the children didn't go to school, and the only medical help was the knowledge they had themselves.

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Originally Posted by OakLeaf

I don't know, but I'd guess it's more a matter of just being used to it. In some ways, your question sounds so much like the reactions barefooters describe people having to their feet! Just like shoes, if no one's telling them they need something...

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That's exactly what got me thinking about this--the whole shoe thing and my experience so far with going barefoot or (usually) wearing minimal footwear. In case you're wondering, no, I haven't experimented with braless running (and if I ever do, it will be in the winter under some layers)! As for Beth's comment about the men doing most of the running, at least in the case of the Tarahumara the women do a significant amount as well. Their races are shorter than those of the men but still plenty long (like longer than a marathon). Definitely enough for the boobs to become a potential issue :p.

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Originally Posted by OakLeaf

Does a sports bra inhibit arm swing and trunk rotation? Does the momentum of a bouncing breast or scrotum actually aid a runner? :eek:

Next year's fad: naked barefoot running. ;)

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Ok, I just go a visual...and it was not pretty!
I don't know about the scrotum, but for the women if they run all the time, they are probably pretty lean and just how big would those breast be? And would they need securing?

I think this is the link to the video with Kara Goucher at the fake natural running camp. I can't pull it up at school :p
http://inside.nike.com/blogs/nikerun...5/12/get-naked

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Originally Posted by kacie tri-ing

I think this is the link to the video with Kara Goucher at the fake natural running camp. I can't pull it up at school :p
http://inside.nike.com/blogs/nikerun...5/12/get-naked

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ok, that was really cute!

well....so I've run "naturally" (on a beach where this was common) and it wasn't uncomfortable, but mine are not "natural" :rolleyes: so they don't move naturally. :p:p

So I did it this morning-- a totally "unsupported" run. Mostly due to a laundry situation.... As my bra size is around a 34WB (for WhyBother) I don't need much support anyway, but still! The first 5 minutes I felt uncomfortable/awkward, but then the rain picked up and was an excellent distraction.

Overall, it wasn't bad. I noticed the lack of support more when going down hill, and I think I was using my arms less to reduce bouncing. I seemed to be landing lighter, running a little more smoothly, also.

But I'm not planning on making a habit of this! Sports bras must be one of the greatest inventions of the past 50 years

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Originally Posted by skhill

So I did it this morning-- a totally "unsupported" run. Mostly due to a laundry situation.... As my bra size is around a 34WB (for WhyBother) I don't need much support anyway, but still! The first 5 minutes I felt uncomfortable/awkward, but then the rain picked up and was an excellent distraction.

Overall, it wasn't bad. I noticed the lack of support more when going down hill, and I think I was using my arms less to reduce bouncing. I seemed to be landing lighter, running a little more smoothly, also.

But I'm not planning on making a habit of this! Sports bras must be one of the greatest inventions of the past 50 years

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LOL--I wasn't expecting anyone to actually DO it (and like I said earlier, if I decide to, it will be when I am wearing some layers to cover things up a bit)...but it's interesting to hear (read?) how the "experiment" went and that it resulted in running lighter/smoother as I would have predicted. The next trend in improving running form? Probably not (just stick with bare feet or minimal shoes for that purpose) but still interesting. Thanks for sharing.

if I weren't 57 I'd try it too. :eek:

On a related, amusing note, here is a video for your viewing pleasure:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqxWh...eature=related

I would imagine that many women pre sports bras used some sort of material to bind themselves, much in the same way women who have breasts but want to "disguise" them do. Maybe men too. I remember while growing up that my Scandinavian aunts told me the opposite of what my US P.E. teachers told me, and that was that if I didn't wear a bra I would strengthen the muscles, the p.e. teachers said I would tear them. I actually CAN run without a bra, 36 c or d most of my life...except for that recently with so much training I have dropped to a B, yipppee....but anyway, I don't run without one because I have been trained to be embarrassed by the jiggle wiggle etc.