Why do you have to wear smart bras to do sports?
They were forgotten about the technological innovations of sportswear for a long time. Until now. And the reason is that several of the most recognized brands in the market began to raise awareness about the importance of wearing a bra or bra, also called bra, when doing sports. Why? Just as it is not the same to use any type of running shoe because it can cause problems when stepping on and then knee, waist and back pain, you can not do sports with any type of top or bodice. Simply because this can bring physiological problems and even make our sports performance decrease.
"Not all women use a bra for sports, perhaps they wear a normal bra and are not aware of how this may be affecting their body," said María Cecilia Candia, a graduate in psychology and responsible for training at Adidas Argentina. A study conducted in 2017 by the University of Portsmouth threw figures to take into account: 64% of women experience breast discomfort during exercise. 80% do not know what your bra size is or wear one that is uncomfortable because it is small, large or stretches after use. Proper adjustment can reduce pain caused by bust movement by 73%.
The use of a normal bodice or top only reduces bust movement by 23%. And, depending on the size, the breasts can move up to 21 cm during exercise. "The mammary gland is one of the organs with the greatest mobility and with few fasteners. The incorrect use of a sports bra could cause premature gland fall, Cooper's ligament lesions that bind the mammary gland to the dermis and the woven together, "says Dr. Betina Llanes (MN 90,9089), head of the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation service at the German Hospital. For Llanes it is important to wear a suitable bra for the practice of any sport, especially the correct size.
The greater the impact on sport, the greater the support in all planes around the bust, above, below and on the sides, to avoid excessive movement of the breasts and cause premature gland fall and irreversible injuries to the ligaments.
If a woman practices running, which is an impact sport, not wearing a bra or bra with a good fit means pain, which can lead to a bad body position. "Maybe when we run we are holding our breasts and that makes us not use our arms for what we have to use them when running or it also happens that we hunched forward so that our back does not hurt, all that has consequences in our performance and in the body, "says Candia. For Viviana Echevarría, manager of Running & Training at Reebok Argentina, for a long time the consumer felt dissatisfied with the proposals of sports tops in the market.
"There was no technological advance that included in-depth studies by the industry," he adds. As he explains, the main factors that cause discomfort in women when doing physical activity, whether high and low intensity, are the additional, heavy and bulky parts such as hooks, closures, foam pads, extra layers of fabric, adjustable rods or strips, in addition to the low support and adjustment capacity.
Raúl Alejandro Supital, professor of biomechanics and functional anatomy of the Barceló Foundation, explains that it is essential to choose the right size because a large size translates into the lack of support necessary, while a small size can affect respiratory capacity and consequently performance sports. "Regarding the material, we must avoid those who have a lot of Lycra can bring skin lesions such as irritation, mycosis and other dermatological problems."
HOW TO CHOOSE THE INDICATE
The brands were developing technologies to achieve greater protection and comfort. In general, sports bra are classified into three categories: for low, medium and high impact sports. The characteristics usually vary between them, the low support ones are used for activities such as yoga, pilates, tai chi or hiking; those of medium for bicycle, rollers and those of high for running, aerobics, crossfit and functional training. The main thing to observe is the ability of the bra to isolate and give containment to each chest, the good support given by the lower band that sticks to the body and prevents the garment from moving and the presence of adjustable straps.
While Adidas proposes three types of bra, one of lightweight compression, padded and with adjustable straps; another medium support with high adjustment to the body, has padding option or not and fixed strips. And the high support that comes with encapsulated cups to individualize and support each of the breasts in order to reduce movement to the maximum; In this garment 80% of support is done by the lower band, which has grooves that stick well to the body. The strips reduce rebound and have adjustable hooks, they can also be crossed to maximize the fit.
For its part, Nike also has three sports bra models with technology that protects against movement and rebound. The lightweight support comes with adjustable straps, with a mesh that facilitates movement and is advised for yoga, spinning, dance or pilates. The medium has a lower band that makes it firmer and more comfortable, adjusts and controls the rebound. It is used for functional training, running, dancing or spinning. Finally, the high support comes with an elastic band, a hook closure and adjustable straps while its cups reduce movement. It is indicated for high intensity training such as tennis or crosfit.
