The truth about how breast movement affects your performance as a runner, and how sports bras play a crucial role.
What makes a sports bra great for running?
Let’s dive into it. Sports bras are usually categorized into three levels of support or impact: low, medium and high. Running falls under the high impact/support category because it creates a lot of breast movement.
some influencers say, breast movement is not a problem for aesthetic reasons, although it’s totally valid for some women to feel insecure about it. The real problem is that it affects your performance in ways you wouldn’t even imagine. It throws your body off balance, shortening your stride length, which means over the course of a marathon, you can end up running an extra mile! It also makes your muscles work harder, making you fatigued sooner. If you want to prioritize your performance, then this is advice you definitely should not ignore.
A supportive sports bra should be able to lift your breasts up, and hold them in place to minimize movement as much as possible. What most people don’t know about sports bras, is that it’s the underband that provides the majority of the support (80%!), not the straps. When you’re choosing a sports bra for running, we recommend going with a firm yet adjustable underband. Underbands that offer no adjustability are not only more likely to fit poorly, which negatively impacts your performance and can create chafing, but these kinds of sports bras are usually made of very elastic fabric so they can stretch over your shoulders, which means it will not have the strength or tension needed to support your breasts and decrease movement. While the underband provides 80% of a bra's support, shoulder straps still play a crucial role in ensuring comfort and stability. Opt for wide, padded, and crossed straps to prevent digging and reduce the risk of nerve damage, while also offering additional support and enhanced comfort during wear.
Where to start looking?
We’ll make the search easy for you. The Independent has reviewed the top sports bras of 2024, ranking the Tigers Eye bra “best for high-impact support”. Although another bra was rated “best overall”, we created a comparison between the features of both so that you can see the bigger picture. The Tigers Eye bra has been tested not only by experts in the laboratory at the University of Portsmouth and by Active-Duty military members across the world, but also by ultra-marathon runners. The overwhelmingly positive feedback it has received is anything but shocking. People love that it does not chafe (even when tested for 8hrs+ runs!), while also praising the support and comfort it offers. If that got your attention, read more reviews here and here. It has been getting quite the attention on social media lately, having been recommended by PTs, military women, sports doctors, ultra-marathon runners, dancers and athletes alike. You can learn more about the Tigers Eye bra, here.
