Sports bra is a bra that provides firm support for the breasts. It is intended for wear during vigorous exercise that might cause the breasts to bounce around. In this way, it prevents discomfort and embarrassment during exercise. Sports bras are sturdier than regular bras and offer greater support for the chest, thus increasing comfort and reducing the chance of damage to the ligaments of the chest during high-impact exercises, such as jogging. A pregnant womans breasts. ... Look up comfort in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Embarrassment is an unpleasant emotional state experienced upon having a socially unacceptable act or condition witnessed by or revealed to others. ... A ligament is a short band of tough fibrous connective tissue composed mainly of long, stringy collagen molecules. ...

Brandi Chastain, sporting a sports bra, after scoring winning goal for the U.S. women's national soccer team against China in the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup.

The first sports bra dates from 1977. Two women cut up a pair of jockstraps and sewed them together into a bra (Jogbra). Other designs use gel and water pads, silver fibres, and air bags. A stitchless bra was made by Wacoal, molded, compressed, and shaped. Other bras are knitted in circular patterns, giving varying stretch and support.^[1]A common basis is a stretchable, absorbent fabric such as Lycra, and may be designed to draw perspiration away from the skin to reduce irritation. Sports brassieres can be classified into either encapsulation brassieres (with molded cups), or compression brassieres that restrict movement by flattening the breasts. Encapsulation is generally better for reducing discomfort; some women perfer compression designs for modesty. Sport Illustrated cover July 1999 Brandi Chastain File links The following pages link to this file: Sports Illustrated List of assets owned by Time Warner ... Brandi Chastain (born July 21, 1968) is a former soccer player who was on the U.S. womens national soccer team from 1991 to 2004 and also the San Jose CyberRays of the WUSA (2001-2003). ... The FIFA Womens World Cup is the most important championship in international football competition for women. ... Wacoal is a worldwide lingerie manufacturer and marketer headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. ... Lycra is INVISTAs trademark for a synthetic polyurethane-based elastane textile with elastic properties of the sort known generically as spandex. As with other spandex materials, Lycra is commonly used in athletic or active clothing, such as clothes for cycling, swimwear, leotards and dancewear, as well as in underclothes. ... Sweating (also called perspiration or sometimes transpiration) is the loss of a watery fluid, consisting mainly of sodium chloride and urea in solution, that is secreted by the sweat glands in the skin of mammals. ... A brassiere (Commonwealth English: ; American: , commonly referred to as a bra, ) is an article of clothing that covers and elevates the breasts. ...

A number of women, particularly those with pendulous breasts, find sports bras helpful for easing pain and discomfort or if embarrassment prevents them from participating. Some sports bras are meant to be worn as outerwear, such as for jogging. Most bra research has concentrated on sports bras, where discomfort is directly related to the degree of nipple movement. While sports bras are more effective in this regard than standard bras, they also vary considerably in their effectiveness.

About 50 percent of women report some pain or discomfort in their breasts during exercise. This varies considerably in intensity and may depend on what they are wearing. In an Australian study 3 women (17-21, cup sizes B and C) were photographed exercising bare breasted, with two models of a bra, and with a particular sports bra. As expected, breast motion was reduced by bras, and the sports bra was the most effective. The women reported less discomfort with bras and especially with the sports bra. However not all sports bras are created equal and should be properly fitted. ^[2] The more effective bras tend to be the least comfortable. ^[3]. Although some women athletes are concerned that a sports bra may interfere with breathing, and increased pressure on the rib cage has been demonstrated, no significant effect on breathing can be shown. ^[4]

See also

• Brassiere
• Bra designs: Sports bras and exercise

A brassiere (Commonwealth English: ; American: , commonly referred to as a bra, ) is an article of clothing that covers and elevates the breasts. ... A wide range of styles of brassieres now exists, to be worn in a variety of situations, and with a variety of outergarments. ...

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