Breast speed causes exercise pain

More than 100 women were tested in Dr Scurr's study

The speed at which breasts move during exercise is more likely to cause pain than the amount of movement, a Hampshire sports scientist has claimed.

Dr Joanna Scurr from the University of Portsmouth studied more than 100 women by getting them to run with sensors attached to their busts.

She measured the distance travelled by the breasts and calculated the speed at which they moved in all directions.

The research could have an impact on bra design, Dr Scurr said.

"It's not the degree of movement which is important but how fast it moves," she said.

"We found that the subjects experienced the greatest degree of pain and discomfort during the points at which the breast was in the process of accelerating or decelerating.

'Side-to-side'

"This research could have implications for millions of women who suffer from exercise-related breast pain and could have significant implications for bra design."

Dr Scurr's studies have led to invitations to work with the military, the NHS and with lingerie manufacturers and she has built up an international reputation for her work on sports-related breast movement.

One of her previous studies revealed regular bras and some sports bras were not effective in reducing breast pain during exercise.

They are designed to stop the bounce but Dr Scurr's study showed that breasts also move side-to-side and in and out.

She is hoping to develop a "smart fabric" that can provide custom-made support for each woman.

Dr Scurr said: "Breast health is an under-researched area and we hope to broaden our understanding, raise awareness of an important quality of life issue."