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When shopping for a sports bra, many athletes believe that the tighter and more snug, the better. But new research suggests a too-tight bra can affect your breathing and impede running performance.
The study, which was funded by athletic apparel brand Lululemon and conducted by researchers at the University of British Columbia, tracked the breathing and lung function of nine elite runners….Continue reading….
By: Kelyn Soong
Source: The Washington Post
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Critics:
Sports bras are often made from moisture-wicking materials to keep you dry during workouts. However, wearing them all day, especially in hot or humid conditions, could create an environment conducive to bacterial growth and skin irritation. Sports bras are intended to grip movement and motion while working up a sweat and toning that body. They offer maximum support and hold your breasts firmly in place.
Regular bras in this particular case lag to offer enough support and may cause tension on the shoulders along with accumulated sweaty patches. They provide support for your breasts, which can help prevent pain and discomfort during exercise. They also help to keep your chest muscles strong, improve posture, and reduce bounce. In addition, sports bras can help protect your breast tissue from damage and may even reduce the risk of cancer.
A sports bra should fit tighter than a regular bra but shouldn’t restrict breathing; you should be able to fit two fingers between the straps and your shoulders. Wrinkles are bad: The fabric of the cup should be smooth. Wrinkles in the fabric are usually an indication that the cup is too big. Many sports bras also include lightly-lined cups that give a slight compression, which can help reduce breast size.
While this will not make a dramatic difference, it may be enough to create a more streamlined appearance under fitted clothing. For most women, sagging breasts are inevitable with age. Drooping breasts are a cosmetic issue, not a health issue. To keep those breasts upright, wearing a bra at night is a common suggestion. However, this cannot improve or slow down sagging.
Bras can cause breast pain too, especially if they are too tight or if they have an underwire that digs into the breast tissue. This causes the ligaments that connect your breasts to the chest wall to become painful and overstretched, resulting in achy breasts. The band of the sports bra does most of the work in supporting your breasts so make sure it sits snug around your rib cage (not on breast tissue). For the best fit, you should be able to fit two fingers between your body and the band but not more.
There’s nothing wrong with wearing a bra while you sleep if that’s what you’re comfortable with. Sleeping in a bra will not make your breasts perkier or prevent them from getting saggy. And it will not stop breasts from growing or cause breast cancer. Puberty generally begins anywhere from eight to 13 years of age in girls , and there’s no specific age that dictates when to start wearing a training bra.
The decision should be based on the individual’s physical development and comfort rather than a predetermined age. Sometimes it’s possible to have too much of a good thing, and wearing a sports bra is no exception. The problem is that many sports bras are too tight, and this has been known to weaken back muscles, cause shoulder pain, and wreak havoc on your posture.
While traditional bras have their place in certain situations, sports bras offer a compelling alternative for everyday wear. Sports bras provide superior support, comfort, and versatility, making them well-suited for a wide range of activities beyond the gym. Unless you’re breastfeeding or have sensitive, acne-prone skin, it’s fine! “In my opinion, it is not bad to wear a sports bra all the time if it is comfortable and gives good support,” Dr. Patel says. Just keep tabs on your skin.
They have ligaments and connective tissue. These ligaments and skin stretch as gravity pulls on the breast tissue, causing the breast to droop. The amount depends on the elasticity of your skin and your ligaments, as determined by your genes and diet, as well as on normal aging processes. Sports bras will not flatten your breasts. If you’re wearing a snug-fitting sports bra, it might compress your chest and make your breasts look flatter, but it’s purely cosmetic.
There are no permanent or long-term consequences to your breast size or shape from wearing a sports bra. Contrary to popular belief, going braless doesn’t mean that your breasts are destined to droop. There’s also nothing unhealthy about wearing a bra as long as it fits properly. Bras don’t preserve the shape or perkiness of breasts. A bra won’t affect breast growth. Genes and hormones control breast growth, not what a girl wears.
Bras don’t make breasts grow or stop growing, but wearing the right-size bra may help you feel more comfortable. Your bra size is your band size subtracted by the cup size you just measured. So, let’s say you measured 36 inches for your bust, and 34 inches for your band. That’s 36 – 34 = 2 inches of difference, making you a 34B. Whatever makes you feel most comfortable and supported is the best option.
That said, some women with larger cup sizes may find that they need more support when running, and in this case, wearing a separate bra underneath a sports bra can be a good option. Those who have very sensitive skin might find that wearing a bra overnight can cause irritation or chaffing, just like any other tight item of clothing. Bra straps that cut into the shoulders can also be uncomfortable.
While sleeping in a bra can protect your skin, it can also irritate it. If your bra has underwire, is an uncomfortable material (for example, lace), or is too tight, this could cause marks and chafing on the skin, which can lead to redness and dryness.
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