The right sports bra can boost women’s running performance by 7%

Study found that greater breast support is associated with increased knee joint stiffness, altering lower body biomechanics in female runners

A well-designed sports bra can increase a woman’s running performance by 7%

Running is one of the most accessible ways to exercise. Its practice has been proven to provide a number of cardiovascular and musculoskeletal benefits and, as an added bonus, increased mental health. Using good quality equipment, such as the right pair of running shoes, is vital to improving running performance and reducing the risk of injury.

Interested in knowing how a well-designed sports bra protects women from breast pain during physical activity, researchers from the Research Center on Biomechanics of the Breast at the University of Memphis, in the United States, led a study on the subject. Surveys show that 72% of women feel pain in their breasts when they run, which can be a hindrance to practicing the sport.

Previous research has shown that increasing the supply of supportive sports bras for the breasts not only influences breast movement, but can also positively influence running performance. Greater breast support has been linked to lower oxygen consumption and better range of motion.

Led by Doctors Douglas Powell and Hailey Fong, the researchers wanted to further investigate the effect of a good sports bra on running biomechanics.

“The biomechanics underlying better running performance with greater breast support is not well understood. Our study represents a body of research on the topic of breast support and whole-body biomechanics,” explained Powell. “We wanted to identify strategies to reduce activity-induced breast pain for women, a group that represents approximately 50% of the population.”

running biomechanics

The researchers analyzed the influence of the bra on the stiffness of the knee joint _ a biomechanical measure that indicates the joint’s resistance to movement when a force is applied _ during running on a treadmill. Knee joint stiffness has been linked to lower oxygen consumption, better running performance, and running-related injuries.

The survey was conducted with 12 amateur runners, aged between 18 and 35 years. Each wore a high-support bra, another low-support bra, in addition to running bare-chested. Each participant did three-minute running sessions in each of the three randomly proposed conditions.

To collect the data, the researchers used a motion capture system with ten cameras and an electronic treadmill. Participants’ movements were tracked using individual retroreflective markers placed on different parts of their bodies. Visual3D was also used to calculate knee joint impacts, while custom software was used to estimate knee joint stiffness and breast displacements during the stance phase of running in each experimental condition.

The importance of good support

The experiment showed that increased levels of breast support were associated with greater knee joint stiffness due to less joint impingement. Compared with the control condition, the low and high support conditions were associated with 2% and 5% increases in knee joint stiffness, respectively. Overall, taking into account these results and the results of previous research by Powell and Fonga high-support sports bra can improve a woman’s running performance by 7%.

“Over the past 50 years, there has been limited evolution in bra design. Our findings show that sports bras should be considered not only as apparel, but also as sports equipment that can enhance performance and reduce the risk of injury, playing a role in women’s health,” explains Powell.

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