Biomechanical bras
Issue: Volume 29 Number 2
Under its newly established three-year partnership agreement, the Australian Institute of Sport’s (AIS’s) Biomechanics department and leading bra brand Berlei have embarked on the first round of testing to further develop sports bras for all Australian women.
Conducted in the AIS Biomechanics laboratory at the AIS Canberra campus in August 2006, the testing involved a number of Australian women undertaking various tests and utlised the latest 3–dimensional analysis to capture high speed footage of breast movement. Women were tested wearing in a range of sports bras and also with unsupported breasts while walking, jogging and running on the treadmill. Retro-reflective markers were placed on the breasts both in the unsupported condition and with the bras tested. A 3-dimensional Vicon Motion Analysis System was used to track the movement of the markers during exercise. The breast movement was then visually reconstructed in 3 dimensions to indicate the degree of vertical breast movement or 'bounce' registered during exercise.
The vertical breast movement which occurred wearing Berlei sports bras (along with several other brands) were then compared to the amount of movement when unsupported i.e. bare breasted trials, to identify the reduction in breast ‘bounce’ while wearing a sports bra. Both smaller (B and C cups) and larger (D, DD, E, and F cups) breasted women were tested to determine influence of breast size in the testing during the walking, jogging and running modes and the support provided by the sport bras for women of different sizes.
Participants were recruited from the general public and, in many instances the women were passionate about the need for sports bras to be designed and tested with the same expertise as conventional sporting equipment.
Breasts movement during exercise is a serious problem. It has been reported that 56 per cent of women experience pain in this area whilst exercise. The breast has no muscle and little internal support. It relies on the skin and tiny internal structures called Coopers ligaments to give it shape and provide support. Jodie Cochrane, AIS Biomechanist managing the Berlei sports bra testing explains “As well as causing pain, not wearing a sports bra during exercise can cause damage to the Coopers ligaments and skin and can lead to permanent deformation and sag’. Therefore external support is needed to enhance participation in exercise and to preserve breast tissue – both are a major factor driving the collaboration between Berlei and the AIS.
Previous testing conducted has shown that breasts can go through a large range of vertical movement when unsupported. If you run without support a ‘B’ cup breast can bounce 8cm whereas it increases up to 18cm for a ‘DD’ cup. Particular sports bras, such as the Berlei New Legend series, can reduce this displacement by over 50 per cent while exercising. Results from previous testing also indicated that breast bounce reduction also improves when bras were worn in the cross back setting as opposed to the traditional over the shoulder setting. This serious approach to testing which has been conducted, by the AIS and Berlei in since 1996, has resulted in Berlei’s unique Support Factor ratings:
- SF3: ultimate bounce reduction - suitable for high impact activities such as running, netball, soccer etc. Reduces breast bounce by over 50 per cent.
- SF2: good bounce reduction - suitable for medium impact activity such as jogging, cycling, softball etc. Reduces breast bounce by 45 – 50 per cent.
- SF1: moderate bounce reduction - suitable for low impact activities such as yoga, pilates, walking etc. Reduces breast bounce by 35 – 44 per cent.
Cochrane added that this type of research is important for a number of reasons:
- A good quality sports bra is important to an elite sport woman’s performance. If the athlete is comfortable and the movement and pain in the breasts is reduced, she can concentrate totally on their activity and performance.
- With the growing obesity problem in Australia participation in exercise is very important. However, for larger breasted women, the pain they get from breast movement is a big disincentive to exercise. Therefore, if we can reduce the level of movement of the breast through research into sports bras it may encourage more females to participate in exercise.
The partnership will also see all female AIS athletes professionally fitted for sports bras on a regular basis and provided with a product range to suit the variety of activities likely to be undertaken in everyday life, training and competition.
Berlei has been working with AIS Biomechanics for over 10 years to continually develop its sports bras - results from the latest round of testing will be released shortly.
