A good sports bra can help women run faster.
A good sports bra makes women run faster
Research suggests that the right bra could knock 15 minutes off a marathon time of about four hours and more than 30 seconds off each mile by improving both posture and style.
Nearly three-quarters of women experience breast pain when they are exercising, which is a significant barrier to activities such as jogging.
Wearing the wrong bra can cause women to reduce the amount of movement and side-to-side rotation in their torso and pelvis as they run in an effort to minimise breast pain, reducing exercise efficiency and economy.
Study author Dr. Douglas Powell, of the University of Memphis, said: "The findings show that breast support not only influences movement of the breasts but the compensations occur across the entire body.
"These compensations can lead to reduced running performance, increased injury risk, and even the development of chronic pain such as back and chest pain.
"Over the past 50 years, limited evolution in bra design has occurred.
"Our findings, in conjunction with previous research studies, show that sports bras should be considered not only as apparel, but also as sports equipment that can reduce the risk of injury, playing a role in women's health."