Teams of scientists are researching the unique ways that elite sport affects the female body – how breasts alter the way you run, but the right sports bra could give you the edge; how the menstrual cycle could impact performance and what role period trackers could play; and why is there a higher risk of some injuries, and what can be done to avoid them?
Before you all get mad that this is about sports, there’s a lot of discussion of the science of women’s athletics, such as
It was fitted by Prof Joanna Wakefield-Scurr, from the University of Portsmouth, who proudly goes by the nickname the Bra Professor.
Here are her breast facts:
*Breasts can bounce an average of 11,000 times in a football match
*An average bounce is 8cm (3in) without appropriate support
*They move with up to 5G of force (five times the force of gravity), comparable to the experience of a Formula 1 driver
Laboratory experiments – using motion sensors on the chest – have revealed how a shifting mass of breast tissue alters the movement of the rest of the body, and in turn, sporting performance.
Now this is the jiggle-physics I can get behind!
Oh that’s interesting, I’d never thought about how different sports bras would affect running or mobility!
So, in high-level physical sports (like the currently happening Lionesses v Spain football match), would the FA have to specify regulation sports bras to ensure equal performance? Could teams get an edge by engineering their own?
would the FA have to specify regulation sports bras to ensure equal performance
That seems like a natural response. But with so much variety of bust size, cup size, and density I can’t imagine a singular standard would be any better than being unregulated.
agreed, unless the expense gets into the realm of ridiculous like competitive swimsuits did for a time. then either only the wealthy clubs/athletes have access to the equipment, or everyone does and it’s just an unnecessary expense on the sport. there would have to be health and safety benefits to justify it.
Oh I didn’t realise we’d already been through this with swimsuits! Do football boots work the same way? Are some just better than others?
Yeah, managing cost barrier to entry is a good thing.
Not mentioned in the summary is joint issues. Relaxin is a hormone produced by the corpus luteum within 2 weeks of ovulation (rising even further during pregnancy). This hormone softens joints, increasing flexibility and helping to prepare for giving birth. Unfortunately it also increases the risks of joint injuries, especially for knees and ankles.
Actually, relaxin peaks during the luteal phase (days 14-28) of the cycle, not just within 2 weeks of ovulation. Studies show ACL injuries are 2-8x more common in female athletes partly due to these hormonal flucuations. Some teams are now adjusting training intensity based on cycle phases to reduce injury risk.
We don’t need to talk about any of these things.
Please explain yourself. This doesn’t look good in the way you wrote it.
then it sounds like you don’t need to be subscribed to the science community where we talk about, you know, science.
It looks like society does not need you to talk about anything.
