(c) Geri Lavrov

While chatting with my girlfriends at book club last month conversation turned to the topic of sports bras, and which ones were best for double bra-ing it. I was appalled... haven't we moved past the days of having to double bra while jogging? (Admittedly I've been guilty of the fitness sin.) And that wasn't the first time (nor the last) my friends have come to me about what to wear under their workout clothes. Apparently, we've all been blessed/cursed with big breasts.

So friends, this is for you, I've sacrificed my chest in order to test out the best sports bras for big-busted fitness lovers. (The test included treadmill interval sprints and an intense jump rope session.)

To make the subjective term "big busted" more concrete, if you're a small C cup or below, this post isn't for you. I'm talking to the ladies who avoid jumping rope out of fear that the excessive bouncing will somehow cause permanent sagging or have difficulty with some yoga poses because their breasts start to constrict their breathing. (I've tried explaining this to my flat-chested yoga instructors, but they just can't empathize.)

If you're ready to give up wearing a double bra when running, and I highly recommend you do, here are my top big bust sports bra picks:

Panache Sports Bra

The claim: Panache is a British brand that specializes in lingerie for larger cup sizes, and they've recently applied their big-bust technology to the sportier side of bras with the Sports Bra by Panache. It claims to reduce bounce by 83% in all directions... amen!

The fit: Currently, most sports bras for larger cup sizes rely on compression as the means of reducing bounce, which results in an unflattering, flattened, uni-boob look. However, Panache uses encapsulation (meaning each breast is separately supported) for a super-flattering look. TMI alert: When wearing this bra, my chest looked phenomenal, it hugged in all the right places, created a little lift so my girls looked perky, all without being too tight in the straps or back and the neckline was a perfect height... not too much cleavage, but not up to my neck either. Plus the bra design is really cute (it comes in fun colors like the purple above) so you don't have to fret about looking frumpy if you dare to rock a sans T-shirt look.

The test: I can't give a statistic on bounce reduction, but wearing this one bra felt more supportive during my sprints than most double bras I've sported before. It has underwire that's wrapped in silicone and sewn between fabric layers, which means you won't feel them at all. Overall: I loved how the bra was supportive (and flattering) without feeling like I was constricting breathing.