For an athlete constantly chasing the “one percenters” that drive performance gains, Aitchison has found proper breast support to be critical. The institute’s research shows poorly fitted bras can cause runners to shorten their stride by up to 4cm – the equivalent of running an extra 1.5km over a marathon. The Black Ferns are fitted with bras for their touring kit and receive bras of their choice, with a range of training gear, through sponsor Adidas. Dr Helen Fulcher is the athlete performance support lead at High Performance Sport New Zealand. Aitchison advocates for recognising bras as essential sports equipment and emphasises early education on breast health.

Source: New Zealand Herald March 28, 2026 22:06 UTC