The most vital piece of kit a woman needs to run (no, not sneakers)
Literally everything you need to know about your sports bra.


Any coach worth their salt will advise driving the arms to counterbalance fatiguing legs, but of course it would help to have the right kit, sports bra included. Breasts have been identified as the 4th biggest barrier to exercise for women; ahead of facilities and cost would you believe it?
Therefore, as it turns out, your sports bra is one vital piece of kit; and not only for running.
Simply put, your breasts do not have any muscles, they are comprised of fatty tissue connected to your pectoral (chest wall) muscles via coppers ligaments and skin. These ligaments keep the shape and structure of your breasts, working together with the elastin in the skin; prevents unwanted sagging.
Naturally the breasts move independently from the body (held on by cooper’s ligaments) without sufficient support, prolonged exercise can result in breast pain, ligament strain and irreversible damage to cooper’s ligaments (which really will influence the shape, sagginess and pain you experience over time).
The average breast size in the UK is a 34D which according to curvykate bra specialists, is equivalent to carrying two guinea pigs (920grams total breast weight) compared to the average size 34B of 11 years ago; carrying two hamsters (460grams total breast weight).
So, investing in a quality, supportive sports bra is needed to prevent significant breast pain and limit the movement of Guinea pigs and hamsters on your chest when exercise, especially when running for three reasons:
Research suggests that running without a sports bra (or with a significantly unsupportive one) causes extra strain on the chest both from movement and breathing patterns; proven to cause quick and shallow breathing – directly inhibiting performance. Why?
Simple really, short breaths expend a lot more energy for little oxygenated reward. The less oxygen available to use means your muscles can not receive enough to really perform. “Taking deeper, slower breaths will deliver more oxygen to the muscles than short, shallow breaths, as you’re taking in more air and expending less energy” (Dr John Dickinson, Head of the respiratory Clinic at the University of Kent).
Brook’s research proves the lack of a supporting bra can shorten your stride length by 4cm, due to poorly contained lady guineapig movement (so if you run a marathon, you’ll end up running an extra mile!)
Firstly, its important to understand some jargon. Sports bras often come in types of support coined as: low, medium and high impact, which you choose is all dependant on your size and workout activity.
*(note, women with a larger breast size will need more support so opt for a medium impact sports bra for activities such as hiking and yoga to really support the lady guineapigs).
Theres much debate over the perfect method for sports bra fittings, and honestly there is none. Measuring over the bust tissue and band really doesn’t work anymore with the measurements varying from country to country, brand to brand, range to range and even each women herself. So don’t sweat it.
If you’ve never worn a sports bra before, start with your usual bra size, it should fit snugly without being so tight that you can’t breathe (cause y’know, that’s kind of important for running) when trying on your sports bra check these following points and you’ll be onto a winner:
The lifespan of your sports bra really depends how much you use it, there’s no time limit perse but once it stops being a little supportive running buddy, then its time to change; much like the life of your running trainers.
The tell-tale sign of needing to replace your sports bra is the laxity in the band (who wants laxity in a supportive relationship?) just remember to wash inside out on a low temperature and you’ll get along just fine.
I’m glad you asked, there are some great options to try, I’ve linked some down below for you:
There you have it, everything you need to know sports-bra wise to nail your next social run, training session or smash that PB, finally.