Vertical Breast Displacement in Asian Women During Exercise: influence of Bra Type, Size and Different Parts of the Breast

This study was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No.11802171)

Asian women have smaller breast sizes and greater breast density, which suggests specific research on their breast kinematics and biomechanics. To investigate vertical breast displacement of Asian women among exercise modalities (rope skipping, walking, jogging, running) in different support conditions (wearing everyday bra or sports bra), and assess the motion between different parts of the breast, seven participants were selected to participate in this study. Five infrared markers were placed on each of their left breasts, and a three-dimensional motion capture system (NDI Optotrak Investigator) was used to collect the data on vertical breast displacement during walking (5 km/h), jogging (7.5 km/h), running (10 km/h) and rope skipping (2 Hz). No significant difference was found in the vertical displacement of different parts of the breast in the two bra conditions. Also, there was significant difference in vertical breast displacement among rope skipping, jogging and running. Breast size did not significantly affect its vertical displacement. The smaller, denser breast appears to reach a threshold of vertical displacement that is similar at high severities of dynamic exercises (jogging, running and rope skipping). The results might be useful for designing special sports bras for Asian women with small breasts or rope skipping participants to improve the shock absorption function.