How Sports Bras Have Suddenly Become A Serious Health Hazard
In an independent study, sports bras were found to have more than the recommended safe limit of BPA
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Getting in a daily workout is definitely good for your health, but some of the clothes you wear while exercising might be toxic. New testing on several popular branded sports bras, and other athletic wear, show the clothing could expose individuals to 22 times the safe limit of the chemical Bisphenol A (BPA), according to California law. BPA is a compound that’s used to make certain types of plastic and can lead to harmful health effects like asthma, cardiovascular disease, and obesity.
Sports bras sold by Athleta, PINK, Asics, The North Face, Brooks, All in Motion, Nike, and FILA were all tested for BPA in the past six months. The compound is a well-studied hormone-disrupting chemical that mimics estrogen and can disrupt the normal functioning of the body, including metabolism, growth and development, and reproduction, according to the Center for Environmental Health.
The CEH is a non-profit consumer advocacy group focused on exposing the presence of toxic chemicals in consumer products like sports bras. Under California law, the maximum allowable dose level for BPA via skin exposure is three micrograms per day, CNN Business reports. The group found similar results in athletic shirts from The North Face, Brooks, Mizuno, Athleta, New Balance, and Reebok.
The agency also sent legal notices to the companies, which will have 60 days to work with the center to remedy the violations before the group files a complaint in California state court. However, the watchdog said its investigations only found BPA in polyester-based sports bras containing spandex. “We want brands to reformulate their products to remove all bisphenols including BPA, the group said in a statement.
In the interim, the Center for Environmental Health recommends limiting the time people spend in their sports bras by changing immediately after a workout. Speaking about their findings, CEH’s Illegal Toxic Threats Program Director Kaya Allan Sugerman explained that people are exposed to BPA through ingestion, from eating food or drinking water from containers that have leached BPA, or by absorption through the skin.
Various studies have shown that BPA can be absorbed through the skin and end up in the bloodstream after handling receipt paper for seconds or a few minutes at a time. So it is concerning to be finding such high levels of BPA in our clothing. Especially, sports bras and athletic shirts which are worn for hours at a time and are meant to be sweat in. Athleta, Nike, Reebok, The North Face, and Victoria’s Secret (which owns PINK) have not yet commented on the findings.
While BPA has recently been found in sports bras, the CEH has asked more than 90 companies, including Walgreens and socks and sleepwear brand Hypnotic Hats, to remove all bisphenols (including BPA) in the past year. Some have already agreed to do so. “Our legal action has been successful in pushing entire industries to remove certain chemicals from various products,” the group told CNN Business. “These cases not only serve to protect California consumers but also consumers throughout the country.”
