Building a better sports bra

July 05, 2010|By Jeannine Stein

Some women have trouble finding a sports bra that fits, is comfortable and keeps their breasts from jostling too much, causing pain. If you're one of those women, fear not. Scientists are trying to build you a better bra. They even produced a study about it.

Researchers at the University of Wollongong in New South Wales, Australia, tested three bra types on 20 women, average bra cup size DD, while they ran on a treadmill.

One was an experimental bra designed to both compress and elevate the breasts, another was a commercial encapsulation sports bra and the third was a placebo bra. We're not really sure what a placebo bra is, but we're guessing Victoria's Secret won't have a version anytime soon.

The study's experimental bra had the same basic structure of the commercial and placebo bras, but the stiff material in the cups was replaced with elastic rubber material that had greater stretch resistance and was designed to compress the breasts. High-density foam pads placed in the cups also elevated them.

All bras measured about the same for vertical displacement and velocity. However, elevation in the experimental bra was significantly better than the commercial and placebo bras. The runners reported less discomfort while wearing the experimental bra compared with the two other bras.

Researchers believe that having the breasts more elevated might be the key to greater comfort, because elevation lessened the tension and loading on supportive tissues, not allowing them to stretch as much.

The study authors believe the findings may prove useful in developing new sports bras that are both functional and comfortable.

The study appears in the July issue of the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.