For women regularly engaged in rigorous sports activity, it is important to understand the anatomy of their breasts.
This month, our breast friend Natie Spangenberg, owner of Comfit/ Pandora Bra Studio in Krugersdorp, writes that whether your cup runneth over or is quite empty, please treat your breasts with the care they deserve and wear a well-fitting bra!
The main function of our breasts is to house our mammary glands, the milk-producing lobules that resemble bunches of grapes, embedded in fatty tissue for their protection.
Large breasts have the same number of milk-forming glands as small breasts, but there are more fat present. This does not mean that all fat women have large breasts and all thin ones have small breasts.
Breasts are held in place by Cooper’s ligaments on the pectoral muscle and a triangle of skin called “the natural bra”, which extends from the chin to the base of the breast and outwards towards the shoulder. This “fan” acts like the straps of a bra, and the condition of this skin determines the shape, position and firmness of the bust.
The Cooper’s ligaments are a network of strong fibres that hold the breast in position firmly through the pectoral muscle and onto the ribcage, but, once overstretched, they do not regain their elasticity. Then you have Cooper’s Droop!
And Cooper’s Droop is not good, and you want to avoid that at all cost!
The Cooper’s ligaments can be protected by good support that will minimise the “bounce” as far as possible.
Research at the University of Portsmouth in the UK has shown that the breast of a woman wearing an ordinary 36C bra while running on a treadmill, bounced 9cm with every step; after one mile, each breast had travelled 143 metres.
The breast of a woman wearing a G-cup bounced a whopping 14cm with every step and traveled 230 metre over the mile.
By wearing a good sports bra, this bounce factor was reduced by 74 per cent.
So to prevent your breast from jumping up and down like a yo-yo during sports activities, choose a sports bra that provides firm support under the breast and also comes quite high over the top of the breast.
Choose a bra with firm wide straps;this also will prevent painful indentation on your shoulders.
So whether you are just jogging or go wild-horse riding, you need to be well supported.
If you wish to comment on Natie’s blog or if you have any questions, write to info@comfit.co.za or like her on Facebook at Comfit CC.
