Validity and Reliability of Three Commercially Available Smart Sports Bras during Treadmill Walking and Running

A variety of wearable technology devices report heart rate. Heart rate sensing smart bras are manufactured for females who participate in activity, however accuracy has not been determined. The purpose was to determine the validity of heart rate measures in three commercially available sports bras during walking and running. Twenty-four healthy females completed bouts of treadmill exercise. The Adidas Smart sports bra, Berlei sports bra, and Sensoria Fitness biometric sports bra were tested. Participant perception of each garment was obtained immediately after the participant divested the sports bra. The Adidas Smart sports bra was valid only during rest (Intraclass correlation Coefficient [ICC] = 0.79, mean absolute percentage error [MAPE] = 4.5%, Limits of Agreement [LoA]=-8 to 8). The Berlei sports bra was valid across all conditions (ICC = 0.99, MAPE = 0.66%, LoA = -19 to 19), and the Sensoria biometric bra was valid during rest and walking (ICC = 0.96, MAPE = 1.9%, LoA = -15 to 12). Perception of the smart sports bras was higher for the Adidas Smart sports bra and Sensoria Fitness sports bra, and lower for the Berlei sports bra. Sports bra manufacturers designing wearable technology garments must consider the ability of returning accurate biometric data while providing necessary function and comfort to females engaging in physical activity.