Sports bras

Important: please read the medical disclaimer before continuing

Breast pain is a common occurrence for women whilst exercising. Badminton is a high impact power sport that contains a great deal of body movement, including jumping. This means the breasts are potentially subjected to a large amount of strain. This strain causes pain and can permanently stretch the supporting ligaments which leads to permanent droop!

To avoid these problems in sport, and Badminton especially, a sports bra should be worn.

Coaches should make players aware of the need for a proper sports bra. As well as the pain and injury implications, poor support can lead to poor performance as the player will avoid actions that cause discomfort. For example, it is theorised that this issue acts as a barrier to women developing a jump smash.

When choosing a sports bra the fit is very important. Firstly, make sure you have a correct measurement. See the SweatbandElle link at the bottom of the page, they have a measuring guide. As with all clothing, different manufactures interpret sizes differently. Therefore it is important to try before you buy or for there to be a good returns policy. The bra should fit snugly so you can only fit one or two fingers into it, but not so tight that there are bits bulging out. Also try badminton movements to see if movement is restricted.

For badminton the bra should be rated as high impact (so have a point scale so look for the highest point available for your size). Also, to prevent slippage go for a racer back style which joins up in the centre at the back.

References and suggested further reading

UK retailers (note this is for your information only. We do not specifically recommend any of the following):

www.lessbounce.com	Less bounce is a specialist sports bra retailer. Plenty of information and a big range on offer. There is a poster for your club/school available in the resource section. Divides bras into low and high impact
www.sweatbandelle.com	Sports bra section of the Sweatband store. Has impact rating of 1 (low) to 4 (high)
www.boobydoo.co.uk	Another specialist sports bra retailer. Some products have impact ratings, some do not. Contact them for details of impact ratings for unrated items

Manufactures (note this is for your information only. We do not specifically recommend any of the following):

www.championforwomen.com

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