EUGENE, Ore.–As the number of women participating in athletics has grown, so has the need for effective, comfortable and properly fitting sports bras–and now research conducted at the University of Oregon may help guide women in their search.

"When talking to women about their sports bra needs, one thing is very clear," says Susan Verscheure, a researcher in the University of Oregon’s Department of Exercise and Movement Science. "They are dissatisfied and are looking for a better solution."

Verscheure investigated various sports bra designs to understand what styles offer the most support and comfort for women with bra sizes 36D-38D. She studied the three major sports bra styles: the most-popular compression style; an "encapsulation" or form-fitting design; and a "combination bra" that mixes features of the compression and encapsulation styles.

In the study, research subjects performed a series of tasks and then recorded their impressions of comfort and fit. In addition, Verscheure used some of the high-tech equipment in the university’s Biomechanics Laboratory to measure breast displacement and breast acceleration (movement in relationship to the body).

Among her findings are:

• Overall, the encapsulated sports bra was the most comfortable and provided best support.
• Female athletes’ common practice of using two compression bras at once was less successful than wearing one encapsulated bra alone.
• The combination bra works almost as well as the encapsulated bra, but it rates much worse in fit and breast comfort.

A certified athletic trainer, Verscheure hopes that her research findings have a positive effect on women’s health.

"Previous research shows that some women consider bra-related discomfort or pain as a barrier to being actively engaged in exercise," she notes. "Evidence also links an increase in breast cancer risk with inactivity. So perhaps women will be able to use this information to equip themselves with a properly fitting sports bra, become more active and decrease their risks of cancer and other health problems related to a sedentary lifestyle."

Verscheure’s interest in the subject comes in part from her own experience as a varsity-level college basketball player and from participating in four triathalons.

Last year, she served on an advisory board of elite and recreational female athletes for Nike, Inc. Nike staff members asked the women about their experiences with and opinions of sports bras.

"The work with Nike crystallized my interest in the topic and gave me the idea of pursuing this investigation for my thesis," she says.

Verscheure has recently earned her master’s degree in exercise and movement science with emphases in biomechanics and sports medicine. In the fall, she will begin her Ph.D. work at the University of Oregon in biomechanics and sports medicine.

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