Research on the relationship between clothing pressure developed by women's basketball sports bra and heart rate variation indexes

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to clarify the relationship between dynamic clothing pressure of women's sports bras and heart rate variation indexes during playing basketball.

Design/methodology/approach

Totally, 35 healthy females aged between 20 and 24 were employed as subjects. Their heart rate variability (HRV) data and the clothing pressure values when wearing sports bras of different bust sizes during playing basketball were measured using Polar RS800CX heart rate monitor and Flexi Force201 thin film type pressure sensor with MFF series pressure test system. Their subjective comfort evaluations were conducted by five-point Likert scale. Grey correlation analysis is used to determine the correlation degree of heart rate variation indexes and subjective comfort evaluations to identify the indexes preferably associated with subjective comfort. Multiple regression analysis is applied to investigate multiple correlations between pressure of test points and the indexes selected above.

Findings

Combined subjective comfort evaluation with objective HRV evaluation the heart rate variation indexes preferably associated with subjective comfort of these bras were identified, which includes mHR, mRR, RMSSD, pNN50. By the relationship between dynamic clothing pressure and the indexes above, this study finds that the clothing pressure of the chest area during basketball exercise should be controlled in the range of 2.01-4.74 kPa.

Research limitations/implications

The subjects of different body type should be taken into account. Further, the mathematic models from this study show low R2-value so the models should be provided more reliable prediction.

Originality/value

The present study indicates that there is an inevitable connection between heart rate variation indexes and subjective comfort of basketball sports bras and creatively points out that heart rate variation indexes can partly assess the comfortable clothing pressure. The study can offer theoretical basis for sports apparel industry to develop the comfortable basketball sports bra.

Citation

Yan, Y., Gao, J., Jin, Z. and Tao, J. (2014), "Research on the relationship between clothing pressure developed by women's basketball sports bra and heart rate variation indexes", International Journal of Clothing Science and Technology, Vol. 26 No. 6, pp. 500-508. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCST-12-2013-0143