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When breast health researcher Deirdre McGhee recently worked one-on-one with 91 of the world’s top 140 tennis players, she asked them to do something unusual.
They were told to run on a treadmill in front of a mirror and look at their breasts.
What they saw surprised them all.
“None of the athletes had looked at their breasts while running and they were surprised at how much their breasts moved and how little support they had in many of their bras,” Dr. McGhee said.
“They couldn’t believe they had reached this level in their sporting career and it was the first time anyone had talked to them about their bra.”
Dr McGhee, from Breast Research Australia at the University of Wollongong, said most players wore bras that did not fit well or offered very little support.
“There is a lot of movement of the breasts when a woman plays tennis: the more you run, jump and make forceful movements of the upper extremities, the more your breasts will move.
“That movement can cause the shoulders to move forward, which is not good for overuse injuries, and the more you move, the more women experience breast pain.”
Putting pressure on sports brands
Dr. McGhee was at the Miami Open tennis tournament in the United States this year as part of the Women’s Tennis Association’s Women’s Health Task Force.
He said some of the world’s largest sportswear companies that sponsored players had a responsibility not only to provide appropriate sports bras, but also to design clothing that fit them.
“Unfortunately, the bra is not even considered and is not perceived by most athletes and coaches as a piece of sports equipment,” Dr. McGhee said.
“These tennis uniforms that they send them are made and designed without considering a bra, and many of the companies that sponsor them actually make good sports bras, so they can afford them.
“They need to think about the bra when they design the dress or the tennis shirt.”
He said that if a bra was not included in a set, a player would often not wear it at all.
Breast injuries possible in most sports
Dr McGhee has worked with female athletes in various football codes as well as cricket.
A consistent theme is that women are not aware of the dangers of not wearing a well-fitting and supportive sports bra.
“Every athlete wears a sports bra and this is information every athlete needs to know because breast health issues extend to injuries and breast cancer awareness,” Dr. McGhee said.
“There are a lot of sports where women experience breast impacts and women don’t report them, so we don’t monitor them or treat them when we can.”
Advice to the International Olympic Committee
By participating in the working group, Dr. McGhee has been invited to advise the International Olympic Committee.
It will develop guidelines for women on returning to sport after having a child and managing their training during pregnancy.
“They were surprised at how much their breasts change after having a baby and how the bra they wore before pregnancy is unlikely to fit them afterwards.
“Women love their breasts…babies love women’s breasts, so we should take care of them.”
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