science

Before you all get mad that this is about sports, there's a lot of discussion of the science of women's athletics, such as

It was fitted by Prof Joanna Wakefield-Scurr, from the University of Portsmouth, who proudly goes by the nickname the Bra Professor.

Here are her breast facts:

*Breasts can bounce an average of 11,000 times in a football match

*An average bounce is 8cm (3in) without appropriate support

*They move with up to 5G of force (five times the force of gravity), comparable to the experience of a Formula 1 driver

Laboratory experiments – using motion sensors on the chest – have revealed how a shifting mass of breast tissue alters the movement of the rest of the body, and in turn, sporting performance.

I can’t imagine having to play your best at the highest level of your sport while on your period. That sucks.

Oh that's interesting, I'd never thought about how different sports bras would affect running or mobility!

So, in high-level physical sports (like the currently happening Lionesses v Spain football match), would the FA have to specify regulation sports bras to ensure equal performance? Could teams get an edge by engineering their own?

Not mentioned in the summary is joint issues. Relaxin is a hormone produced by the corpus luteum within 2 weeks of ovulation (rising even further during pregnancy). This hormone softens joints, increasing flexibility and helping to prepare for giving birth. Unfortunately it also increases the risks of joint injuries, especially for knees and ankles.

I've always thought about the period thing. For some people the pain can be very debilitating.

I've always assume that they mostly use hormonal birth control to reduce or control it. But I really don't know.