A surprising study on the link between the quality of the bra worn by runners and their performance has just been published by researchers at the University of Memphis.
Géraldine Zamansky from Health Magazine on France 5, today discusses the issue of underwear in sport, and the influence of their quality on sports performance.
franceinfo: For example, has a study just made the link between different bras used by runners and their sports results?
For this study, 13 women agreed to run for a few minutes on a treadmill, first with their breasts free, then with two types of bra, one slightly reinforced and the other very protective. Result: the stride of the volunteers improved with the level of protection.
This is the latest publication from the American team at the Breast Biomechanics Research Center, created at the heart of the University of Memphis. It’s run by Douglas Powell who told me how he went from working on the feet to chest work.
One day, he asked a student to run for a test, and the young woman replied that it was impossible, because she did not have a suitable bra. And Douglas Powell then discovered the difficult question of maintaining the breasts, during almost all sports. With pain as a result, for more than two out of three women.
So Douglas Powell created a specialized center on this subject and made other discoveries?
Exactly. With astonishing measurements: “free” D cup breasts, therefore quite generous, undergo vertical displacements of more than 20 cm during a run. It’s painful. So if the bra doesn’t fit, the arms will try to hold the chest at the sides. But then they no longer sway naturally along the body, with each stride, breathing is less free and running is degraded.
Women can also try to reduce the shock when they put their foot down. Douglas Powell’s team then identified a risk of injury to the knees and ankles. Because, like the arms, these joints then no longer move naturally, and the weight of the body is poorly distributed.
Would a good bra therefore improve the performance and health of sportswomen?
Excellent summary. Moreover, American football or basketball professionals are working with Douglas Powell and underwear brands to find better solutions. Their names are confidential but know that some are now forced to wear two bras to have sufficient support.
Fortunately, for most amateur athletes, there are already good solutions. A tip: do a fitting with jumps in the cabin, to test both the efficiency and the comfort. The chest should no longer be an obstacle to physical activity!