《5 Tips for Choosing Sportswear》

Without a breathable and highly protective sports top or sports bra, you can easily harm yourself while trying to get fit! The following sets out the 5 must-knows when choosing sports tops and sports bras!

Sweat wicking and quick drying

During exercise, our sweat cannot evaporate quickly if the sportswear has poor performance in sweat wicking and quick drying, it would cause our body temperature to rise and lead to fatigue and overheating. On the contrary, if you stay relatively still after exercise, the sweat on the skin will lower your body temperature, and with the presence of wind you may feel clammy, shiver and even get sick. Therefore, the sweat-wicking and quick-drying functions of sportswear are very important as they help to maintain proper body temperature.

Antibacterial and deodourization can save us from embarrassment

During exercise, your body temperature will rise and you may drench in sweat. In a hot and humid environment, your sportswear becomes a breeding ground for microorganisms, which is also the culprit of unpleasant odour! Therefore, the better the antibacterial performance of the fabric, the more it can inhibit the growth of microorganisms and thus reduce the chance of producing an unpleasant smell. Even if the antibacterial performance of the fabric is notgood enough in inhibiting the formation of odour, as long as it has the good performance in deodourization, it can still reduce or even eliminate the unpleasant odour.

Fading after the first wash?

Colour fading and staining can be very annoying. They can also happen to sports tops or sports bras. In our previous tests, some samples transferred colour onto other cloth fabrics after one wash and being soaked in simulated sweat. Therefore, consumers must pay attention to this issue when choosing sportswear.

There are different types of sports bras for ladies?

When women exercise (especially running and jumping, etc.), their breasts typically bounce in a figure-8 formation. Sports bras can help to minimize the amount of breast movement during exercise and prevent Cooper’s ligaments from being excessively stretched and damaged which may lead to sagging breasts. Therefore, choosing the right sports bra is critical!

Sports bras can generally be divided into either the “compression” or “encapsulation” type.

Compression type: Without individual cups, this type compresses the breasts tightly against the chest wall to reduce the bouncing of the breasts.
Encapsulation type: Similar to an everyday bra, both breasts are wrapped and supported individually.

In appearance, the encapsulation type can keep the breasts in their natural shape, while with the compression type the breasts are being compressed.

More Knowledge re Sports Bras
Some research projects show that when women exercise (especially running and jumping, etc.), their breasts typically bounce in a figure-8 formation. The main purpose of wearing a sports bra is to minimize the amount of breast movement during exercise, and thus preventing the Cooper’s ligaments from being excessively stretched and damaged. Excessive bouncing and movements of the breasts may tear or even break the Copper’s ligaments causing sagging breasts. Sports bras fall into either the “compression” or “encapsulation” type. A compression type sports bra does not have individual cups. It works by compressing the chest area and pushing the breasts against the chest wall, thus limiting the bouncing movements of the breasts. An encapsulation type sports bra is similar to an everyday bra. Both breasts are wrapped and supported individually. In appearance, the encapsulation type can keep the breasts in their natural shape, while with the compression type the breasts are being compressed. Different sports can have different impact level on the breasts. In terms of protection, the bras can further be divided into low-, medium- or high-support category. Therefore, consumers should choose sports bras according to the type of exercise they do:
1. Low-support suitable for low-intensity sports, e.g. yoga, Pilates and stretching, etc.
2. Medium-support suitable for jogging, dancing, fitness training and cycling, etc.
3. High-support suitable for running, boxing, ball games or other strenuous / high-intensity exercises.
Apart from considering style, consumers should also take the following factors into account: Choose a suitable sports bra according to the exercise and breast size. Women with larger breasts should choose medium- or high-support type to prevent injuries. It is also better to have medium – or high-support type when doing aerial yoga with certain hanging-up-side-down poses. The wider the shoulder straps, the better it is to relieve the pressure on the shoulders and chest. Therefore, it is advised not to choose a sports bra with thin shoulder straps when performing high-intensity exercise. For those with difficulties of pulling on sports bras, choose one with hooks at the back or a zipper in front. A fit sized sports bra can provided a good support to our breasts. But it should not be too tight. If the shoulder straps or underband leave marks, it could be a sign its too tight. Try them on before purchase. Try jumping, rasing your arms and turning sideways to see whether the underbands would ride up during these movements.

More Knowledge re Sports Bras

Some research projects show that when women exercise (especially running and jumping, etc.), their breasts typically bounce in a figure-8 formation. The main purpose of wearing a sports bra is to minimize the amount of breast movement during exercise, and thus preventing the Cooper’s ligaments from being excessively stretched and damaged. Excessive bouncing and movements of the breasts may tear or even break the Copper’s ligaments causing sagging breasts.

Sports bras fall into either the “compression” or “encapsulation” type. A compression type sports bra does not have individual cups. It works by compressing the chest area and pushing the breasts against the chest wall, thus limiting the bouncing movements of the breasts. An encapsulation type sports bra is similar to an everyday bra. Both breasts are wrapped and supported individually. In appearance, the encapsulation type can keep the breasts in their natural shape, while with the compression type the breasts are being compressed.

Different sports can have different impact level on the breasts. In terms of protection, the bras can further be divided into low-, medium- or high-support category. Therefore, consumers should choose sports bras according to the type of exercise they do:

figure-8 formation

1. Low-support

suitable for low-intensity sports, e.g. yoga, Pilates and stretching, etc.

2. Medium-support

suitable for jogging, dancing, fitness training and cycling, etc.

3. High-support

suitable for running, boxing, ball games or other strenuous / high-intensity exercises.

Apart from considering style, consumers should also take the following factors into account:

Choose a suitable sports bra according to the exercise and breast size. Women with larger breasts should choose medium- or high-support type to prevent injuries. It is also better to have medium – or high-support type when doing aerial yoga with certain hanging-up-side-down poses.
The wider the shoulder straps, the better it is to relieve the pressure on the shoulders and chest. Therefore, it is advised not to choose a sports bra with thin shoulder straps when performing high-intensity exercise.
For those with difficulties of pulling on sports bras, choose one with hooks at the back or a zipper in front.
A fit sized sports bra can provided a good support to our breasts. But it should not be too tight. If the shoulder straps or underband leave marks, it could be a sign its too tight.
Try them on before purchase. Try jumping, rasing your arms and turning sideways to see whether the underbands would ride up during these movements.

The protective function of sports bras

Different sports can have different impact level on the breasts, so you should choose sports bras with different level of support according to the type of exercise you do:

Low-support:suitable for doing yoga, Pilates, stretching, etc.;
Medium-support: suitable for doing aerial yoga (which involves certain hanging-up-side-down poses), jogging, dancing, fitness training and cycling, etc;
High-support:suitable for running, boxing, ball games or other strenuous / high-intensity exercises.

Apart from the type of exercise, breast size is also an important factor to consider when choosing a sports bra. Women with larger breasts, it may be best to choose medium- or high-support types. At the same time, the wider the shoulder straps, the more effective they are to relieve pressure on the shoulders and chest. Therefore, don’t choose a sports bra with thin shoulder straps when performing high-intensity exercise.

In the article, “Several Models of Men’s and Women’s Sportswear Score Poorly in Performance Tests and Were Below Par on Odour Suppression”. CHOICE Magazine, Issue 525, the Consumer Council has shown the test results of 15 sports tops and 15 women's sports bras on the market. Click into the article (Chinese version only), you can easily find out which model has more functions and provides better protection!