Exercise can affect breast size for some women, but for others it has no effect at all. However, if you're exercising to lose fat, it's likely you will lose breast size because breasts are mostly fat.
Breast Anatomy
According to the Mayo Clinic, female breasts are made up of mostly of fat and connective tissue. They also contain milk ducts, lymph nodes and blood vessels. The shape and structure of your breasts is genetically predetermined. Just as in other parts of your body, the number of fat cells in your breast tissue was pre-programmed long before you reached puberty. When you gain weight, the fat cells in your breasts may fill up, making them larger. The measurement of your bust line also includes fat stored beneath the skin surrounding your back and rib cage. When you exercise and lose weight, the circumference of your chest may go down with or without affecting breast size.
Weight Loss and Breast Size
During weight loss, exercise helps you retain muscle and reduce body fat. When you lose weight, your body draws indiscriminately on fat stores, but not necessarily in areas where you would be happy to part with it. If you are pear-shaped and carry extra fat in the region of your hips and buttocks, you may be dismayed to see the fat dwindle from your breasts while the areas you most want to reduce remain intact. On the other hand, women who are genetically large-breasted and prefer smaller breasts may lose fat everywhere but their breasts.
Overtraining Syndrome
For female athletes, diminished breast size may be a symptom of overtraining. The female athlete triad is a cluster of disorders that includes amennorhea, disordered eating and a drop in estrogen leading to shrinking breasts and osteoporosis. The Women's Sports Foundation notes that the same attributes that make female athletes fierce competitors also drives them to overtrain and undereat to maintain a positive body image. Athletes with this disorder are vulnerable to fracture during competition. According to the foundation, female athletes should be aware of symptoms and mindful of the nutritional demands of training and competition.
Menopause and Breast Size
According to Imaginis Women's Health Resource, the size and appearance of women's breasts are constantly changing. Hormones influence changes through puberty, menses, pregnancy and lactation. After menopause, it's common for breasts to increase in size. This increase is attributed to reduction in the levels of estrogen and progesterone, a displacement of glandular tissue with fat and decreased tension of connective tissue. According to Cornell University, weight gain after menopause increases the risk of breast cancer. Exercise that helps reduce belly fat in post-menopausal women -- such as cardiovascular activity -- may also decrease breast size and diminish the risk of breast cancer.
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