How poorly fitted sports bras drive girls out of sports

What you need to know:

• Poorly fitted sports bras can cause pain, discomfort and embarrassment, yet schools and sports organisations rarely provide proper breast support.
• Researchers say recognising sports bras as essential sports equipment could improve comfort, confidence and performance.

Australian sport has a participation problem, especially when it comes to girls and women. In fact, Australian girls and women are dropping out of organised sports at concerning rates. There are myriad reasons why this is happening. One barrier that gets little coverage is sports bras.

We recently studied how decision-makers in schools and sports organisations understand breast-related barriers to participation and whether they recognised sports bras as part of the solution.

Why are sports bras so important?

Sports bras are essential for girls and women because breasts move a lot during activities such as running, jumping or quick changes in direction. This movement can cause pain, chafing and embarrassment, which may discourage participation and hurt performance.

A high-support, properly fitted sports bra can alleviate or resolve these issues and allow girls and women to exercise comfortably. However, research shows up to 88 per cent of girls wear sports bras that do not fit properly and only about a third wear a sports bra during PE or school sports.

Not including sports bras in school uniforms or sports kits, and not teaching about bra fit and breast health, are gaps that need addressing. The good news is these gaps can be addressed through practical, achievable changes to assist the health, comfort and performance of girls and women playing sport.

We identified several problems

Our team surveyed 225 people – including coaches, teachers, administrators and programme coordinators – who decide on sports kit items in 153 sporting organisations and 72 schools across Australia.

We identified several key issues: many girls and women do not understand the benefits of supportive sports bras; cost makes it difficult for some to access sports bras, especially in schools and community sports; and sports bras are often seen as underwear instead of performance equipment.

One respondent told us: “In the same way that a mouth guard protects teeth, breasts are high-contact areas in our sport that require protection and support.”

Most respondents said breast-related issues negatively affect participation – a majority believed about 40 per cent of girls and women in their organisations faced breast-related problems that limited participation, led to dropping out and impacted performance.

However, most understood the benefits of sports bras: about 95 per cent believed sports bras help prevent breast pain during exercise, and more than 90 per cent said they reduced embarrassment from too much breast movement.

About 92 per cent of decision-makers thought girls and women would benefit from learning about sports bra design, fit and support. While two-thirds felt their organisation should provide this education, less than one per cent actually offered sports bra education. Only two per cent formally included sports bras in school or sports kits.

We also suggest some solutions

We developed a guide that presents solutions to assist sports and schools in dealing with this problem. It includes facts, free evidence-based resources on sports bras for use in promotional efforts, and case studies on organisations that are educating and supporting girls and women to access sports bras.

Key solutions included schools and sports accepting the responsibility to educate girls and women on the importance of wearing supportive, well-fitted sports bras and recognising sports bras as an essential item in sports kits.

Two case studies also identified recent success stories: At Gilgandra High School in New South Wales, teachers noticed few girls were taking part in sports and found a lack of access to supportive sports bras was a problem. The school used NSW government equity funding to give students professionally fitted sports bras for free.

This led to a 35 per cent increase in girls taking part in the school’s athletics carnival. It also boosted their confidence, comfort and willingness to talk about breast health. Also, the Queensland Academy of Sport added breast health education and sports bra fittings to their athlete support services. A physiotherapist met with athletes one-on-one to explain how sports bra design and fit can improve performance and comfort and help prevent breast injuries.

The academy found its athletes were much more likely to use breast health resources after getting personal advice from trusted health professionals. These sessions also made it easier to talk about breast health and lowered barriers to getting help.

Practical tips for sports and schools

There are several things sporting clubs and schools can do to help: Recognise sports bras as essential equipment for girls and women because breast support is important for keeping them involved in sport; add breast health and sports bra education, along with access to evidence-based resources, to physical education programmes in high schools and women’s sport training sessions; offer opportunities for girls and women to learn about sports bra design and proper fit in supportive settings; and assist with funding or identify where funding could be provided to help make sports bras more affordable.

If we want to boost participation and reduce dropout rates among girls and women, making sure they have access to proper breast support could be one of the easiest and most effective things we do.

Deirdre McGhee is a researcher and senior lecturer at the University of Wollongong and APA sports physiotherapist at the University of Wollongong; Clare Hanlon is a professor and chairperson of Susan Alberti Women in Sport at Victoria University; and Dr Elliott Flowers is a postdoctoral research fellow (Women and Girls in Sport), Victoria University.