Some Sports Bras Could Be Bad For Your Back, Science Says—Here's Why Here's how to pick the right sports bra for you
A new study found that super-supportive sports bras may actually put pressure on your spine while you exercise
Perawit Boonchu / Getty Images
- New research suggests that highly supportive sports bras may put pressure on your spine while you exercise.
- Sports bras that are too restrictive could overwork back muscles and limit breathing.
- Experts shared tips for selecting a sports bra that balances support and comfort.
Wearing a highly supportive sports bra while working out may unintentionally put pressure on your spine, a new study suggests.
For the research, published in the European Journal of Sport Science, scientists monitored the breasts, back, and spine of one woman while she ran wearing different types of sports bras. They determined that sports bras that totally eliminate breast motion might potentially lead to back pain.
While you might be tempted to toss your super-supportive sports bras, experts said more research is necessary to understand the connection between these products and back pain.
In the meantime, here’s what else to know about the research—as well as what experts recommend you look for in a sports bra.
A Potential Downside of Highly Supportive Sports Bras
Sports bras are designed to limit how much the breasts move around during exercise—an issue that can be uncomfortable or downright painful—but recent designs have increasingly focused on eliminating breast motion.
The study’s lead researcher Chris Mills, PhD, a senior lecturer of biomechanics at the School of Sport, Health, and Exercise Science at the University of Portsmouth, told Health that the message being sold is that less breast movement equals more support and, therefore, improved athletic performance.
Mills and his research team wanted to know if highly supportive sports bras do, in fact, impact performance.
To answer that question, they recruited a 26-year-old woman with a bra size of 34DD. They attached multiple sensors to her body and had her complete three running trials—during the first, she didn’t wear a bra; during the second, she wore an everyday bra; and for the third, she wore a sports bra.
The research team then measured how her breasts, torso, and spine moved with the various bra types. Based on those measurements, they developed a computer model and used it to predict how her body might respond to a bra that completely eliminated breast movement.
The computer model suggested that a bra that totally removes breast motion would increase lumbar joint moments, or the amount of force on the joints. According to the researchers, bras designed to prevent breast motion may unintentionally put more stress and pressure on the spine during physical activity, which could lead to back pain.
What’s the Actual Purpose of a Sports Bra?
When you work out, your breasts move up and around your torso. Going braless is not only uncomfortable, particularly if you have larger breasts, but it can strain the surrounding skin and ligaments, research shows. And instead of focusing on your workout, you might worry about your breasts.
“Psychologically, the reduction of breast motion can make you feel more ‘locked down’ and confident, especially in the company of others,” Susan L. Sokolowski, PhD, a professor of sports product design at the University of Oregon, told Health.
According to researchers, a good sports bra can, in fact, help reduce breast pain or discomfort when you exercise.
It takes some of the load off the breast-supporting tissue and ligaments, such as those that connect the skin to the underlying muscle, called Cooper’s ligaments, according to Kara Radzak, PhD, an associate professor of kinesiology and nutrition sciences at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
It can also help you maintain a good posture by not having to change your motion to avoid “the bounce,” as Radzak put it. “If we have more mass out front, we have to rely on our postural muscles that keep us upright,” she told Health.
Why Too Much Support Could Cause Pain
In the world of sports bras, however, there may be such a thing as too much support, as the new study highlights.
According to Mills, when your breasts bounce during, say, a run or a spin class, the surrounding soft tissue absorbs some of the force put on your joints and spine. A too-tight sports bra could eliminate the bounce, putting that pressure back on your spine. “Therefore, muscles in the back have to work harder, which, in turn, increases the loading on the spine,” Mills explained.
There may be other downsides to extremely supportive sports bras, Sokolowski said. They’re typically built with more fabric, meaning they might not be quite as efficient at whisking away sweat. They also tend to be more fitted and provide more coverage, which could restrict how much your chest expands while breathing.
Before we all turn against super-supportive sports bras, however, it’s crucial to note that more research is needed to understand the potential harm of overly supportive sports bras.
As Sokolowski pointed out, the researchers studied only one person for their paper. “Even the authors say ‘any conclusion regarding bras and back pain must be considered with caution and could be investigated in future work,’” she said.
According to Radzak, the report offers more of a “first glimpse”—rather than a solid conclusion—of how a very supportive sports bra might impact the body during exercise.
What to Look For in a Sports Bra
The type of sports bra you should use largely depends on your personal preferences and the kind of exercise you do. As Mills explained, there is always some trade-off—a bra with little to no support may cause breast pain, while a highly supportive bra might put more stress on your body.
If the sports bra styles you already have in your closet are generally working for you, one way to determine how each one is holding up is to wash them in cold water with mild detergent and then hang them up to dry. Most sports bras are made of spandex plus nylon, polyester, or cotton.
“Spandex as a fiber does not withstand heat well—it contributes to the fiber breaking down and cracking over time,” said Sokolowski. A sign you may be due for a replacement: the material feels like it’s stretched out, and your breasts are bouncing around more than they used to.
When shopping for a new sports bra, you want to ensure it fits your body appropriately. Slide it on and run or jump in place. Make sure you don’t have cup spillage (an issue where your breast tissue doesn’t fit or stay inside the bra), and that the chest bands and straps aren’t too tight, Sokolowski recommended.
You also don’t want the bra to be too loose. “With running, since it is a repetitive motion, tissue spillage and tightness can create skin chafing over time,” Sokolowski said.
Choosing a sports bra is subjective and really comes down to what feels good, but the goal is to find a bra that lets you breathe deeply, rotate your torso without restriction, and move your arms comfortably, she added.
In other words, listen to your body. Try on different styles and go with the version that helps you feel confident, comfortable, and supported—but not restricted. “You basically want the bra to feel like a second skin,” Sokolowski said.
Jani Hall
Jani Hall is a news editor for Health with a background in health, science, and investigative reporting. Previously, she wrote full time about parenting issues for the app Parent Lab. Before that, she worked as a reporter for National Geographic covering wildlife crime and exploitation.
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This story originally appeared on: Health News - Author:Julia Ries
