Breast augmentation in competitive body builders face certain challenges when considering this surgical procedure.
On the one hand, the poses that bodybuilders strike during competition involve forceful contraction of well-developed pectoral muscles. This places subpectoral breast implants at a disadvantage since the contraction of the muscle will distort the shape of the breast.
On the other hand, competitive bodybuilders often carry very low body fat, especially when going into a competition. This means that there may be very little breast tissue to camouflage an implant that is in the subglandular plane.
Often the best choice is to place the implant above the muscle and beneath the breast. This works best if there is a reasonable amount of natural structure in the upper breast.
Most of my bodybuilder patients select silicone implants. These implants, in general, have a more natural feel and are less likely to show rippling than saline breast implants.
If I could offer one piece of advice to patients who enjoy bodybuilding, it would be, “Don’t go for oversize implants!” It is much better to have a breast that looks natural than to have one that looks like a cartoon. Bodybuilding is after all about glorifying the natural form of the body.