Breast Support and Bra Fit
One simple strategy that has been shown to effectively relieve up to 85% of breast pain symptoms is wearing a properly fitted, high support sports bra (Hadi, 2000; McGhee and Steele, 2010, 2020; Scurr, White and Hedger, 2011). External breast support significantly reduces breast motion and, in turn, breast pain; however, it bears repeating that the bra must be properly fitted and provide a high level of support to contribute to a meaningful reduction in breast motion and subsequently, breast pain. Due to insufficient breast support education, a lack of fitting guidance, and sizing inconsistency between manufacturers, female athletes are rarely found to be wearing their correct bra size or a bra of adequate support.
Coaches and support staff are therefore encouraged to facilitate breast support and bra fitting education and training for their athletes. Most simply, educational resources such as the sports bra app provide tailored recommendations and essential education on the importance of adequate breast support and how to select a correctly fit a sports bra that caters for their breast size, age, and the movements specific to their sport. Although a majority of female athletes prefer to wear a compression bra/crop top during sport (Brisbine et al., 2020c; Wakefield-Scurr, Sanchez and Jones, 2023; Wakefield-Scurr et al., 2025), these typically only provide adequate support for women with small breast sizes (e.g. bra cup sizes A-C).
Education about encapsulation style sports bras (which separate the breasts into distinct cups and have been quantitatively shown to improve breast support and reduce breast pain) is therefore essential for athletes with larger breast sizes. If resources allow, teams should consider providing breast education and bra fitting by a trained professional. Several recent studies implementing such a program within elite women’s sport reported comprehensive improvements to breath health knowledge, bra fit, and even decreased reports of breast pain (Wakefield-Scurr, Sanchez and Jones, 2023; Wakefield-Scurr et al., 2024, 2025).
World Rugby Sports Bra Fitting Guide
Sport Bra Tool supported by the Australian Institute of Sport: Click here to access