Perfect Top: How Science Helped English Players Win Euros

A secret lurks under the white shirts worn by England’s players in the final victory of the European Championship at the end of July – the first title for an English team in football since the 1966 World Cup.

It is the sports top worn by each of them, the result of work carried out behind the scenes by biomechanics professor Joanna Wakefield-Scurr, from the University of Portsmouth.

According to data compiled by Wakefiekd-Scurr and his team, appropriate tops can increase a running athlete’s stride by up to 4 centimeters.

“Our research has shown reduced muscle activity in the upper body as a result of a well-fitting bra, which means you’ll be able to go a little further before you get tired.” Sheet two studies carried out in Portsmouth.

“If you’re doing a sport and your breasts are moving a lot, you end up working your upper body a lot to try to nullify that movement,” she says.

The English Institute of Sport (EIS) has also been making strides in the development of sports tops.

“Although the EIS did not work directly with the Lionesses [nome pela qual são conhecidas as jogadoras da seleção inglesa]it’s great to know that the Football Association, like the EIS, is prioritizing work on athletes’ health, including sports bras,” said Dr Pippa Bennet, director of medical services at the institute and head of the athlete’s medical department. of the Football Association.

After a survey of 70 elite volunteers, the EIS concluded that 75% of them never felt their tops were well-fitting. And 26% said they had enough breast pain that they couldn’t exert themselves 100%.

So, before the Euro Cup, Wakefiekd-Scurr met with the Lionesses and gave lectures about breast movements in sport.

Then they had their measurements taken and talked about the issues they face with the supports they use in games. Wakefield-Scurr then chose specific tops for each.

“They were regular bras, which are on sale at sports stores, but we noticed that the players were very interested in the information on how they fit their bodies, what style would be best. There are great products for sale out there, and we help them to better choose what is on store shelves.”

There are basically two types of sports bra on the market. There are compression models that help to reduce the movement of the breasts by squeezing them against the chest. And there are the so-called encapsulations, which have an individual support dome for each breast.

“The most common ones in football are compression ones, and they can be very effective for athletes with smaller breasts. But there are some hybrids, like what player Chloe Kelly appears to show when she rips off her shirt in celebration of the Euro Cup final. simple model, but inside it has a more complex support structure,” explains Wakefiel-Scurr.

The Lionesses work was not Wakefiel-Scurr’s first with sports bras. In preparation for last year’s Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, the teacher provided the best possible tops for 112 athletes from 15 different sports.

A month later, 87% of them said they were feeling benefits from the changes in clothing, while 17% said the new bras had improved their sports performance.

“Working closely with the Portsmouth team, we dressed athletes in the correct type of top, as if most were already the right size, it was often not the best type for that particular activity,” concludes Anita Biswas, Sports Physician. EIS senior.