HEALTH AND WELLBEING
The biomechanics of a bra revolution
One of the most uplifting moments in British football in 2020 was the Lionesses ’ win over Germany to become Euro 2022 champions . The final was sealed by an extra-time goal from Chloe Kelly , who immediately crowned her stardom by whipping off her shirt and showing to the world a scientific revolution – her Nike sports bra from the laboratories of the University of Portsmouth ’ s Professor of Biomechanics , Joanna Wakefield-Scurr .
Professor Wakefield-Scurr heads up the University ’ s
breast health research group . She and her team analyse the ways different breasts move during sport and exercise , then calculate the best bra support .
Before the Lionesses asked for help , Professor Wakefield-Scurr had already worked with the English Institute of Sport and the British Olympic Association , prescribing custom bras for female athletes competing in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics .
She says correct bra fitting , especially for athletes but for most women generally , is largely about education : “ Helping women understand what a sports bra is , how it works , how it should fit , what types are available , what might be better for you and your sport ,” she says .
Professor Wakefield-Scurr says the Lionesses had a preference for compression crop tops , so the players had to be encouraged from this comfort zone , and with trial and error , find what performed best for each individual .
“ Sports bras work either by compressing the breast tissue towards the chest wall , or by lifting and holding . Biomechanically , they ’ re two completely different ways of stopping movement ,” Professor
Wakefield-Scurr explains . “ So if one doesn ’ t work for you , try the other .”
Professor Wakefield-Scurr ’ s bra development originated with her search for a solution to her own breast pain about 18 years ago . She learned that more than half of women suffer from this , with consequences for health and wellbeing . She also found that bra development historically has come from the fashion world and very little research had ever been done on how bras work biomechanically .
This revelation led to the formation in 2005 of the University of Portsmouth ’ s
PHOTO : MICHAEL REGAN / GETTY IMAGES
14 ISSUE 04 / 2022