Abstract
Background
A professional sports bra fitting and issue service was introduced for women entering British Army basic training (BT) in 2020 to address breast health and bra-related issues. However, the suitability of commercial off-the-shelf sports bras for female tactical athletes, designed primarily for short-duration use, remains unclear.
Objective
We aimed to develop evidence-based recommendations to inform British Army sports bra policy and establish a framework applicable to other female tactical athlete populations.
Methods
A mixed-method multi-study approach was employed (May 2021– September 2023). First, a cross-sectional study was conducted with BT recruits to assess the bra fitting and issue service using questionnaires (n = 244) and semi-structured interviews (n = 7). A concurrent task analysis with subject matter experts (n = 8) identified BT activities that were both physically demanding and challenging for the breast. Second, a controlled laboratory study with recruit-matched civilians (n = 25) examined the performance of various sports bra characteristics during short-duration simulations of military-specific tasks. Finally, a 14-week longitudinal field study of BT recruits (n = 93) monitored sports bra performance during sustained wear, enabling comparisons between laboratory-based simulations and real-world use.
Results
Despite implementing a bra fitting and issue service, 61% of recruits still reported at least one breast or bra-related issue. None of the four sports bra designs tested fully met the varied demands of BT tasks. Ten key bra design characteristics (e.g. strap configuration, ease of use, support level) were identified across five different BT tasks (physical training, field exercise, military tasks, foot drill and classroom sessions), combining insights from short-duration laboratory simulations and long-duration field use.
Conclusions
These evidence-based recommendations can enhance breast health, comfort and performance in female military recruits. Findings have broader implications for female tactical athletes in physically demanding occupations, supporting the development of optimised female-specific equipment.
A professional sports bra fitting and issue service was introduced for women entering British Army basic training (BT) in 2020 to address breast health and bra-related issues. However, the suitability of commercial off-the-shelf sports bras for female tactical athletes, designed primarily for short-duration use, remains unclear.
Objective
We aimed to develop evidence-based recommendations to inform British Army sports bra policy and establish a framework applicable to other female tactical athlete populations.
Methods
A mixed-method multi-study approach was employed (May 2021– September 2023). First, a cross-sectional study was conducted with BT recruits to assess the bra fitting and issue service using questionnaires (n = 244) and semi-structured interviews (n = 7). A concurrent task analysis with subject matter experts (n = 8) identified BT activities that were both physically demanding and challenging for the breast. Second, a controlled laboratory study with recruit-matched civilians (n = 25) examined the performance of various sports bra characteristics during short-duration simulations of military-specific tasks. Finally, a 14-week longitudinal field study of BT recruits (n = 93) monitored sports bra performance during sustained wear, enabling comparisons between laboratory-based simulations and real-world use.
Results
Despite implementing a bra fitting and issue service, 61% of recruits still reported at least one breast or bra-related issue. None of the four sports bra designs tested fully met the varied demands of BT tasks. Ten key bra design characteristics (e.g. strap configuration, ease of use, support level) were identified across five different BT tasks (physical training, field exercise, military tasks, foot drill and classroom sessions), combining insights from short-duration laboratory simulations and long-duration field use.
Conclusions
These evidence-based recommendations can enhance breast health, comfort and performance in female military recruits. Findings have broader implications for female tactical athletes in physically demanding occupations, supporting the development of optimised female-specific equipment.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Number of pages | 17 |
| Journal | Sports Medicine |
| Early online date | 15 Dec 2025 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 15 Dec 2025 |
Data Availability Statement
Processed data and additional resultsare available in the ESM. The raw data generated in this study are the
property of the Ministry of Defence and access may be granted upon
an approved request through the corresponding author.
The code used in this study is available from the
corresponding author on reasonable request.
Acknowledgements
The authors thank the Extreme Environments andOccupational Performance Group at the University of Portsmouth for
their critical review of the final manuscript.
Funding
This research programme, including a PhD studentship for Emily Paines, was supported by the Army Recruit Health and Performance Research Group, HQ Army Individual Training Command (700610368), through the British Army Innovation Fund.