Evaluating the Effects of Sports Bra Design, Body Composition, Metabolic Markers, and Sex Hormones on Kinetic Measures of Postural Control in Full-Busted Women During Physical Activity

Due to inadequate commercial availability of sports bras designed with adequate breast support for full-busted women (cup size D and above), breast discomfort can be a significant barrier to exercise. In this study, postural characteristics during dynamic physical activities were evaluated for 20 full-busted women in 3 different sports bra conditions, 2 of which were bras designed specifically for full-busted women. Participants performed quiet standing, walking, jumping jacks, high knees, and running tasks on a force plate treadmill in each condition to collect postural measures associated with center of pressure (COP). COP measures were also evaluated with respect to body composition, metabolic health markers, and sex hormone profiles. COP measures were larger in high knees and jumping tasks with respect to quiet standing. Across running speeds, conventional bras were associated with the largest COP metrics. Analysis of covariance analysis indicated increased anthropometry measures such as mass and body fat percentage resulted in decreased COP area and favored mediolateral orientation. Luteinizing hormone, estradiol, progesterone, testosterone, and sex hormone-binding globulin were all found to impact statistical models, indicating the importance of incorporating a comprehensive hormone panel when considering the impact subject-level variations have on motor function.