HEALTH AND WELLBEING
Research Group in Breast Health . It is a cross-disciplinary team , including psychologists , physiologists and clinicians . The group ’ s work has led to collaborations with sporting apparel companies , bra manufacturers , the NHS and the military to protect breast health and reduce or eliminate breast pain .
Breast biomechanics – how the breast moves , how much stretch or strain there is on the tissues of the breast , and what effect the mass of the breast hanging from the shoulder is having on the rest of the body – has been one of the fundamental research questions . The breast ’ s limited anatomical support means that without support it can move up to 15 centimetres during an exercise like running , causing discomfort , pain and even damage to delicate tissue .
Chloe Kelly ( with teammates Lauren Hemp and Jill Scott ) celebrates scoring England ’ s second goal against Germany during the UEFA Women ’ s Euro 2022 final match at Wembley Stadium on 31 July 2022 in London , England .
However , while breast pain is common , knowledge of breast health and bra fit is still surprisingly low . This is partly because it ’ s a subject women tend not to talk about , says Professor Wakefield-Scurr , and partly because biomechanics has tended to be male-dominated . Her efforts to improve people ’ s understanding of bras and breast health still encounter indifference .
“ It ’ s been an uphill battle to have this viewed as an important aspect of women ’ s health ,” she says . “ When we send a paper for publication , an editor will often say , ‘ If this was a real problem , we would have heard about it already ’.”
It was a response that even greeted her paper on the Research Group ’ s work with female British athletes before the Tokyo Olympics . Nonetheless , backed by the English Institute of Sport and the British Olympic Association , the group ’ s research found 17 per cent of female athletes reported breast movement or bra fit negatively affected their performance . Over 50 per cent experienced breast pain and three-quarters had never had a sports bra professionally fitted .
Bespoke bras , finally
Consequently , bespoke bras were designed specifically to improve the performance of women competing in the rowing , shooting and hockey .
In February 2022 , the group ’ s research underpinned the launch by Adidas of 43 new styles of sports bra , in 72 sizes , to reflect women ’ s physical diversity . The choice might sound overwhelming , but the group ’ s quick guide to bra selection today provides an invaluable changing room guide .
The group ’ s work now extends to women in the military , and schoolgirls are also in the sightlines of breast health initiatives . With a website – treasureyourchest . org – the group aims to remove the stigma around breast health and comfort , and encourage more girls to participate in sport .
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