Professional golfers on the Ladies European Tour have been receiving education on breast health via workshops this year, as part of a collaborative project between the Research Group in Breast Health, the LET Performance Institute and The R&A.
The breast support for injury and performance workshops were delivered by Professor Joanna Wakefield-Scurr, Head of the Research Group in Breast Health, University of Portsmouth and Lewis Clarke, Lecturer for the PGA and Professional Doctorate student, University of Portsmouth, at various tournaments throughout the season.
After the workshops, the players received a free 1-1 professional bra fit with the researchers, followed by a free prescribed bra, courtesy of LET sponsor adidas.
A sports bra is an effective way to reduce breast movement, however, there are many different types, and they often don’t fit the person correctly for the sport they play.
The breast has very little supporting structure and therefore moves freely along the chest wall. In sports which involve more torso rotation and acceleration, the breast will move substantially in all three directions, without adequate support.
Significant amounts of breast movement can change your ground reaction forces and make your upper body harder to rotate and move fast.
Up to 72 per cent of exercising females report movement related breast pain. If not supported properly, the breast can experience damaging skin stretch.
In a similar intervention with Olympic and Paralympic athletes delivered by the Research Group, 97 per cent reported their prescribed sports bra to be significantly better than their previously worn bra.
In addition, 87 per cent of athletes reported they significantly benefited from the workshop. The Research Group in Breast Health intends to use the scientific findings to benefit more female golfers in the future.
