Breast Support Requirements for Badminton Players to Minimize Breast Movement

Exercise-induced breast pain may be caused by excessive breast movement, which can negatively affect athletic performance. As a common asymmetric exercise, playing badminton may produce different breast motion and require different breast support from symmetric exercise such as running. This study aimed to characterize breast displacement during two typical badminton movements and determine breast support requirements for playing badminton. Three-dimensional displacement of left and right breasts for female participants (75B, Chinese bra sizing) was calculated. Breast displacement on the hitting side was significantly greater than that on the other side. Trunk rotation and breast displacement during forehand stroke were greater than that during side-hand stroke. Breast displacement was predominantly mediolateral during forehand strokes. Findings suggest that further research is required to focus on mediolateral breast displacement during badminton forehand strokes. The present findings will be useful for controlling breast motion during playing badminton and in turn avoiding exercised-induced breast pain.