Sports bras: GB athletes to get bespoke underwear for Tokyo Olympics

Team GB's hockey side - who won gold at Rio 2016 - will be among those to benefit from bespoke sports bras

It is one of the first things women put on to exercise and arguably one of their most crucial pieces of equipment.

Now, scientists working with GB athletes have taken notice of the importance of the humble sports bra.

An innovation the English Institute of Sport (EIS) has been working on before this summer's Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, it could eventually have implications for sportswomen everywhere.

More than 100 British Olympic and Paralympic athletes will have bespoke bras for the Games, with hockey one of several teams to benefit.

The motivation behind the change may seem obvious to any woman who has done exercise they would not dare try without a supportive bra, but the research backs up the increased focus on this area.

Scientists at the University of Portsmouth found that a woman running in a well-fitting sports bra could run a mile further in the time it would take her to run a marathon than in a bra with poor support.

A study done by the university and the EIS with 70 elite British athletes found that 26% had taken medication for breast pain.

The same proportion said the discomfort affected their ability to give 100% in training or competition.

Three quarters of the athletes had never been fitted for a sports bra and the EIS decided it was time for change.

"We do everything we can, within obviously the bounds of permitted means, to help our athletes to perform at their best," EIS senior sports physician Dr Anita Biswas told BBC Sport's Laura Scott.

"If some of them are wearing the wrong bras then it makes sense for us to have a look at that and address that."

The University of Portsmouth and English Institute of Sport did a study with 70 elite athletes

'It's as important as trainers'

Three athletes have received their bras so far, with the EIS hopeful of delivering them to 109 more sportswomen in April.

Women will have different requirements depending on their sport, with Dr Biswas saying that events such as rowing, archery and shooting may suit a bra that flattens athletes' chests.

Team GB hockey player Hannah Martin is one of those benefiting from the innovation and says choosing the right bra has always been "massively important".

"As a female athlete it's as important as trainers to be able to play and perform to your best," she continued.

"It's always been at the forefront of my mind and I've always tried to make sure I've got the most supportive and comfortable ones I can find."

Martin added her relief that she would be able to "take her mind off" worrying about wearing the right bra as she and her team-mates bid to defend the Olympic gold won at Rio 2016.

The 26-year-old believes more education is needed on the topic, saying it is something girls "need to be more aware of growing up".

"It's not something you really speak about or you talk about with your friends, you just kind of find one, it looks alright and you put it on," Martin added.

"It's such a huge part both health-wise and performance-wise. I think the awareness needs to be upped and that education around what you need and what is right for you."

'It could be a game-changer'

Dr Biswas said some athletes who have had bespoke bras are already reporting a reduction in back pain.

She added that the bras would be "the cherry on top rather than the biggest impact" on performance in Tokyo.

With all the evidence suggesting the importance of a well-fitting bra, it is perhaps surprising that it has taken this long for athletes to receive specialist advice.

The EIS has already innovated to make Team GB's clothing more aerodynamic, but Dr Biswas admits it has taken "a bit longer to go into the underwear side of things".

"Partly because maybe we don't see it," she continued.

"The athletes don't necessarily report it. Arguably women's sport is getting more attention and more interest so therefore there is more energy going into identifying all the different ways we can improve their performance."

And Dr Biswas is hopeful the increased focus on bras could eventually affect women who take part in sport at any level.

She said: "The right bra could be the difference between a middle-aged woman or a young girl who has developed breasts for the first time being able to take part in sport and not being comfortable enough to take part in sport.

"I think it could be a game-changer."

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