What should you pay attention to?

If girls and young women no longer want to participate in sports, it is often because their breasts hurt them or embarrass them. A good sports bra can prevent a lot of suffering.

Girls are usually less shy than boys, but they are often very involved until puberty. Once the breasts grow, the girls stop exercising en masse. The dropout rate is much higher than among boys. A study conducted in the United Kingdom found that about half of 2,000 girls between the ages of 11 and 17 avoid school sports because of embarrassment about their breasts or the discomfort and pain caused by these activities. The size of their breasts played a role, because girls with a D cup or higher participated less in school sports than girls with a smaller cup. More than three-quarters felt insecure, and some even feared their breasts were too big for them to exercise. They hardly knew which bra was right for them, what to pay attention to when buying and how to avoid pain during exercise. Less than 10% of them always wear a sports bra while working out, and even these girls often don't know if it's the right size. Almost all of them wanted to know more about her. The 14-year-old girls in particular were eagerly awaiting more information.

It is not clear whether the situation is similar in our country. There is also no solid research on this topic worldwide. While top athletes are trained in great detail on how to improve their performance, you will find almost nothing on this aspect. According to Australian Julie Steele, a leader in this field, one in 5 senior female athletes believes that her breasts harm her performance, and one in 3 suffers from injuries, but less than 10% talk about this with their coach or medical staff.

Marathons

The staggering numbers come from marathons, where women make up nearly a third of participants. In the 2012 London Marathon, running times per cup size increased by 5 to 8 minutes. Large women are often more built, but weight alone cannot explain this difference. Women with smaller breasts took an average of 4:41 hours to complete the marathon, compared to 6 hours for women with larger breast sizes. 1 in 3 women also reported experiencing breast pain.

Very few women wear a proper bra while exercising. However, a good sports bra is highly recommended. Relieves pain and discomfort by approximately 85% and limits breast movement by over 60%. Push-up bras that squeeze the breasts to the body do this better than bras with built-in cups and also seem to provide more comfort.

Many shapes and sizes

Finding a suitable bra is not easy. There is hardly any systematic research into optimal support. It's not easy either. Breasts come in all shapes and sizes, and vary in firmness. Some are very sensitive and others much less so. The distance between them also varies. Furthermore, there are no internationally accepted standard sizes for bra manufacturers, doctors, and researchers. Lots of trial and testing, including walking around the store, is the only way to know for sure if a bra fits you.

Women with large breasts should choose shoulder straps that are at least 4.5cm wide for more comfort when wearing. If the straps still put too much pressure on the shoulders, additional pads can provide relief. Gel pads help prevent slipping.

Vertical shoulder straps also seem more comfortable for women with large breasts than crossed ones at the back, while the latter does not benefit movement on the other side of the body. Additionally, cross straps put pressure on your shoulder muscles higher, making it less fun.

It is better for mothers to support their daughter if she wants to exercise. Ask her if she experiences breast pain when she moves. Talk to her about buying a sports bra, and take her to a store where someone with experience and insight can provide solid information.