Where's My Super Sports Bra?

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Honestly, I’d rather not think too hard about how much money I’ve spent on running shoes. I have shoes for easy days and track workouts, long runs and tempo runs. I have a pair of trail shoes that were designed specifically for women, and, of course, I have a pair of super shoes, the same genre of carbon-plated racing shoes Eliud Kipchoge wore when he broke two hours in the marathon in . (OK, I have two pairs.) I am neurotic about running shoes, you might say!

I bought the super shoes in and , for two back-to-back attempts at qualifying for the Boston Marathon. These shoes, which cost about $250 a pair, have exploded in popularity in recent years among people like me, who care deeply about running and want to maximize both the quality of the experience and their performance. During both races, I wore my least-bad bra, the one that only chafes a little bit—not enough to bother me during a race, though usually enough to make me yelp in pain in the shower afterward.

I may have high expectations for running shoes, but the same cannot be said for running bras. A good sports bra is one I can ignore; a bad sports bra is one that’s painful enough to slow me down. The best I can hope for is … nothing.

Recently, though, I’ve come to believe that we can—and should!—ask more of our sports bras. We all should have sports bras that are actively nice to wear, the way we have shoes that do way, way more than simply protect our feet from the ground. According to a small-but-intriguing bit of research, a well-designed and properly fitting bra can even improve running performance. Enough with the super shoes. Where is my super sports bra?

Not long ago, after a 15-mile training run across New York City, Kelly Roberts came home to discover she was bleeding. A lot. “I chafed so bad it looked like I got shot—like, there was this giant blood mark on my shirt,” she said. “I was completely unaware of how bad it was, because I’m always used to that subtle burning. I had no clue I was bleeding.”

Roberts is a running coach with a sizable following on TikTok and Instagram, where she regularly posts detailed reviews of bras she’s tried. She estimates she’s reviewed around 30 at this point, quipping about the performance and the aesthetics of each one. (“If your nips are hard, it shows. That’s weird,” she said of one bra in a recent review.)

When she was training seriously, she started getting tension headaches and pain in her jaw, to the point where it hurt to even open her mouth. Eventually, a physical therapist helped her connect those issues to her sports bra. ​​”My physical therapist was like, ‘Hey, your bra is ruining your life,’ ” she said. It’s possible for an ill-fitting bra to compress the muscles around an athlete’s shoulders and neck, which may reduce blood flow and lead to aches and pains like Roberts experienced.

But it can be difficult for women, especially those with larger breasts, to find a bra that doesn’t ruin their life. One study found that 17 percent of the 249 women surveyed reported that their breasts kept them from exercising, agreeing with statements like “I can’t find the right sports bra” or “I am embarrassed by excessive breast movement.”

Even a bra that accomplishes the basics can be annoying to wear. In a study published earlier this year in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, Olympic runner–turned–exercise physiologist Shalaya Kipp set out to quantify the effect of that irritation on performance. Kipp asked competitive runners to undergo a series of treadmill tests in three scenarios: once in their preferred size of sports bra, once with the band tightened, and once with the band loosened. Her results showed an improvement in oxygen consumption in the looser condition as compared to both the self-selected and the tighter conditions—as much as a 2 percent improvement between the tighter condition and the looser condition.

So, a tighter sports bra makes it harder to breathe. Yeah, no kidding. But it does help make the case for at least spending as much time considering your sports bra choice as you might your shoes, rather than just ordering something online and hoping for the best. Imagine going to a store dedicated mostly to sports bras, having a specialist evaluate your breasts, and then running around the store or on a treadmill a little bit to see how different options feel. This is how runners buy shoes, after all! The range of options for sports bras might still be a little lacking, but it would at least be a good start.

And Kipp’s study is exactly the kind of research that could be built upon to create—eventually— a performance-boosting bra. (Incidentally, Lululemon funded Kipp’s study.) Kipp has estimated that difference in oxygen consumption could result in a three-hour marathoner lopping three minutes off their finish time—reminiscent of the super-shoe manufacturer’s claim of a 4 percent oxygen consumption improvement. “This is basic science,” Kipp says of her research. “This has the potential to help everyone on the playing field.”

(It’s not clear, by the way, that super shoes help everyone on the playing field. While it’s true that this technology has helped elite runners improve their finish times, the same might not be true for amateurs; despite my great love for my Alphaflys, the real benefit in performance seems to come when you’re moving much more quickly than my eight-minute marathon pace.)

When it comes to sports bras, even slight improvements could be enough to earn the “super” moniker, says Laura Tempesta, a sports bra designer who was formerly Nike’s sports bra innovation director, and has consulted on design for other brands. “If we were going to design an amazing sports bra, it would solve all of these basic things that have not been solved yet,” she said. Namely, it would improve sweat management and prevent chafing while providing comfort and support. “I mean, these are like basic, basic things, right? But no bra out there can say it has solved all of those things.”

There’s a reason brands haven’t created such a bra yet. “It takes lots and lots of money to make a really good sports bra,” she said. But brands can’t charge as much for a bra as they can for a pair of shoes. “So in the hierarchy of things that they sell, in terms of how they’re going to allocate resources, bras always end up at the very bottom, because it’s just not worth it for them. The money is just not coming in for them there.” Sports bras, which started out as two jockstraps sewn together, have certainly evolved over the years; today you can buy sports bras that have underwires, zip-front closures, adjustable Velcro straps, bras that are “seam-free,” even one that holds a heart monitor. But it’s still very hard to find a bra that’s good. Tempesta believes most sports bra features advertised as innovations are mere gimmicks.

In part, it’s because of consumer behavior around bras versus shoes. Many runners hang on to sports bras for years. (My favorite bra is at least a decade old, the Nike swoosh mostly worn off by now.) But most runners replace shoes every 300 to 500 miles—around every few-to-several months, depending on your mileage habits. And you can really only use super shoes for about 200 to 250 miles; after that, the cushioning will wear to the point of injury risk. For that reason, it’s also not recommended that you do your everyday running in carbon-plated shoes. In fact, most elite and amateur athletes alike will show up to a race in an almost-new pair, typically worn just once before to break them in—I wore my Alphaflys a grand total of five times. The price per wear is extraordinary.

Currently, Tempesta is taking a break from consulting and is attempting to design a super sports bra herself, though she’s cagey about the details. In the meantime, both she and Roberts made mention of appealing to the morality of activewear brands. “What we need is a company to really dedicate resources to this for a long period of time and say, ‘We’re going to do this not because we’re caring about profits, but because it’s the right thing to do,’ ” Tempesta said.

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A sports bra is essential for providing proper support and stability to the breasts during intense physical activities. But while it’s obvious how this applies to high-impact sports that involve running, the benefits to rowers are less clear. GB Rowing Team athlete Hannah Scott explains more.

My journey into the world of high-performance sports bras began at the Tokyo Olympic Games in .

On the day of my race, I instinctively reached for the individually tailored sports bra provided by my team physiotherapist, Liz. This specialised garment was part of an initiative involving the English Institute of Sport (EIS) and Clover Global, a renowned bra manufacturer. Embracing the concept of “marginal gains,” I recognised the significance of this choice on the morning of my competition.

However, on reflection post-Olympics, I realised the missed opportunity of only using this sports bra on race days. Why limit its benefits to competition days when its support could enhance my training sessions daily? This revelation prompted a shift in my perspective towards my sports bra choices, acknowledging its potential to contribute significantly to my overall performance beyond race days.

Providing proper support and stability to the breasts is crucial in rowing because we often operate on unstable platforms.

At regattas, coaches frequently worry about the movement of mini weights or sandbags in underweight hulls. However, the lack of proper breast support likely impacts a women’s crew more than an extra 1-2kg of weight tied down in the boat. A supportive sports bra can prevent injuries, boost upper body strength for weightlifting, and increase confidence in the gym. All of these contribute to improved athletic performance and success.

Breaking barriers in high-impact sports bras

In the realm of high-impact sports bras, several barriers to entry have hindered their widespread adoption until recent years. One significant obstacle in the past has been the lack of exposure to them being worn by elite sportswomen. This in turn has limited their visibility and awareness to younger women.

However, the tide is changing as top female athletes now realise the importance of a good sports bra with increased female health research in sports to thank for this. Big sporting brands have also started to design more fashionable, fun high-impact sports bras, and therefore we are seeing an increase in them being worn on the world stage.

Additionally, the cost factor poses a challenge to high-impact sports bras visibility, as some high-quality sports bras can be expensive, making them less accessible.

Issues such as chafing around the armpit area (if the bra is not fitted correctly) can also deter individuals from embracing these bras for their athletic pursuits.

Concerns about unflattering designs or perceived embarrassment associated with wearing certain styles can also act as barriers to entry for high-impact sports bras in girls and young women. Addressing these barriers are crucial to promoting and encouraging young athletic women to prioritise support and performance in their sporting journey and ultimately see better results for themselves.

3 top tips for choosing the right sports bra

Tip 1: Get measured

It is crucial to prioritise fit over size. Seek out retailers that offer free professional measuring services to ensure you find the perfect fit for your body. Renowned brands like Bravissimo and M&S, known for their quality and expertise in providing well-fitted bra size guides, are among the preferred choices for the GB Rowing Team. By focusing on fit rather than simply relying on standard sizes, individuals can enhance their comfort and performance during physical activities.

Tip 2: Be aware of these key considerations for high-impact sports bras

• A good underband: The underband should allow for two fingers to fit comfortably between it and the skin, ensuring it is neither too tight nor too loose.
• Full and contained cups: The cups should adequately contain the breasts, with too much breast visible indicating a cup size that is too small, and vice versa for too much material suggesting a cup size that is too big.
• A secure clasp: You should be able to attach the clasp on the loosest setting when the bra is brand new, allowing for adjustments as it stretches over time.
• Adjustable shoulder straps: These enable customisation of the level of support needed for your body, with one to two inches of give from the shoulder skin to the strap recommended.
  If your size is unavailable, consider moving up a cup size and down an underband size or vice versa to find a similar fit. For instance, someone fitting a 34DD could try a 36D or a 32E for a comparable sizing experience.

Tip 3: Shop smart

Keep an eye out for sales events, such as the January Sales, to secure quality sports bras at more affordable prices.

Care of your sports bra

Proper care and maintenance of sports bras can significantly extend their lifespan. Avoid tumble drying and opt for washing them on a gentle, low heat setting to preserve their shape and elasticity. Remember, a good sports bra is a worthwhile investment in your comfort and performance, so taking care of them properly is paramount to ensure their longevity and effectiveness.

Conclusion

By following these guidelines, athletes can ensure they select a sports bra that provides optimal comfort and support, enhancing their performance in all physical activities.

Photo: Benedict Tufnell

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