# Let's talk about jock straps **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 19, 2000, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-jock-straps/26161 "2000-07-19T23:15:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![JoeyBlades](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a87d85/32.png) [@JoeyBlades](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoeyBlades)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2000, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-jock-straps/26161/1 "2000-07-19T23:15:55Z")
I was checking out Cecil’s bit on bra sizes and it reminded me of a question that I’ve often pondered. If women’s bra sizes can comprehend that there are two components to the size (girth and load), why can’t men’s athletic supporters? Jocks come only in S, M, L, XL, and XXL (yeah, OK, maybe there’s an XXXL out there). All of these sizes are primarily a function of waist size. Now, when it comes to equipment, I think I’m basically average (Goldilocks sez it’s juuust right). Since my waist size is 34, I tend to have to go with the large. The only problem is, my goodies take up more room than is typically alloted to the pouch. It’s supposed to be an athletic “supporter” not and athletic “torturer”. I always get pinches and friction burns, on body parts that are overly sensitive to pinches and friction burns, because the pouch is too small and the edges rub and bite (yeah, I know, some guys like that). I tried an XL once, but it was too loose in the waist to be good for anything supportive. What’s up with that? It seems, by now, someone should have invented a better jock strap. I can’t be the only one with this problem… ---
**Author:** ![tcburnett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c5a1d2/32.png) [@tcburnett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tcburnett)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2000, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-jock-straps/26161/2 "2000-07-20T01:08:05Z")
The pouches are normally elastic. You probably have it on inside-out. ---
**Author:** ![stuyguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@stuyguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stuyguy)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2000, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-jock-straps/26161/3 "2000-07-20T02:04:30Z")
TC may have a point. Jock straps are one of the few (only?) garments worn with the size label on the outside. Are you wearing your right? ---
**Author:** ![Lance\_Turbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lance_turbo/32/6156_2.png) [@Lance\_Turbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lance_Turbo)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2000, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-jock-straps/26161/4 "2000-07-20T05:32:41Z")
As much as I hate to agree with tcburnett, but what the heel is wrong with you. Those things will stretch for days. ---
**Author:** ![Lance\_Turbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lance_turbo/32/6156_2.png) [@Lance\_Turbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lance_Turbo)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2000, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-jock-straps/26161/5 "2000-07-20T05:33:47Z")
hell not heel ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2000, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-jock-straps/26161/6 "2000-07-20T05:51:48Z")
I am pretty sure he is talking about a jock-strap with a CUP in it. Those hard plastic shells do not stretch at all. I would never catch(baseball) or play football without one!! ---
**Author:** ![tcburnett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c5a1d2/32.png) [@tcburnett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tcburnett)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2000, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-jock-straps/26161/7 "2000-07-20T06:01:54Z")
Well, this is what he said: “because the pouch is too small and the edges rub and bite” and: “I tried an XL once, but it was too loose in the waist to be good for anything supportive” You’d think he would be able to recognize the necessity of putting a bigger cup (or even a football helmet) in his jockstrap if that were the problem, eh Bear? ---
**Author:** ![Lance\_Turbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lance_turbo/32/6156_2.png) [@Lance\_Turbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lance_Turbo)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2000, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-jock-straps/26161/8 "2000-07-20T06:04:13Z")
Can anyone fit into one of those? ---
**Author:** ![ricepad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b38774/32.png) [@ricepad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ricepad)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2000, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-jock-straps/26161/9 "2000-07-20T06:07:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lance Turbo \* > \*\*Can anyone fit into one of those? \*\* Well, yeah…especially if it’s a choice between cramming everything in, or taking a puck in the nuts… ---
**Author:** ![JoeyBlades](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a87d85/32.png) [@JoeyBlades](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoeyBlades)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2000, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-jock-straps/26161/10 "2000-07-20T15:02:05Z")
Gimme a break guys. I think I know how to wear a jock. Yes, I know the label goes on the outside. No, I’m not talking about a cup (actually I don’t have this problem with my cup supporter because it does stretch quite a bit). Who makes one of those jocks that “will stretch for days”? The standard jocks I have a very limited stretch in the pouch. Since the stretch is only minimal, I think this is the source of some of the pinching, as the edges want to clamp in tighter on… well, the contents. The effect is that the outer edge of the pouch rubs the equipment and I’m always having to adjust the contents. Maybe I’m just buying the wrong kind of jocks, but I’ve tried a number of different manufacturers. In all fairness of comparison, my wife’s bras stretch in the cups too (I’ve checked… in the name of science, of course), yet bras are still sized by girth and cup size. And she doesn’t even have the necessity of accomodating expansion when that well built number walks by in the gymn, ‘flossing’ with her thong-like workout getup… [sigh] but I digress… I’ve heard other guys complain about it, so I know I’m not alone in my plight. However, it doesn’t seem like anyone else on this board experiences the same ‘crowding’ problem that I do, so it must not be universal. I guess I’ll drop the subject. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2000, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-jock-straps/26161/11 "2000-07-20T15:09:26Z")
Don’t wear jock straps. Don’t like 'em. Never understood the point. They get caught in uncomfortable places and I tend to get fungal infections after I wear them. Fortunately, I don’t play any sports that require a cup. Can anyone tell me what the point of an athletic supporter really is? Everything I have comes with built-in support. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2000, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-jock-straps/26161/12 "2000-07-20T15:15:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by JoeyBlades \* > \*\* > I’ve heard other guys complain about it, so I know I’m not alone in my plight. However, it doesn’t seem like anyone else on this board experiences the same ‘crowding’ problem that I do, so it must not be universal. I guess I’ll drop the subject. \*\* Don’t be so glum. Large fortunes have been made accomodating differences in body size. This should be your cue for that internet start up you’ve always dreamed about. Hmmmm… what’s a good site name? The Nuthouse The Forgotten Man My Cup Runneth Over A prosperous and golden future beckons…get busy! ---
**Author:** ![plnnr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2000, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-jock-straps/26161/13 "2000-07-20T15:21:59Z")
I suffer from the same problem. Just couldn’t quite find a jock to keep everything right where it belonged that didn’t chafe and bind. My solution: Buy support briefs. A few athletic apparel stores sell them, and you can also buy them from Runners World. They aren’t designed to be worn with a cup, but they do keep everything properly placed with the added bonus of not having straps. ---
**Author:** ![etgaw1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ed655f/32.png) [@etgaw1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etgaw1)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2000, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-jock-straps/26161/14 "2000-07-20T15:30:49Z")
The Jock itself will stretch so why don’t you get an L sized Strat and an XL Cup. One other thing is to be caseful with this you don’t want the cup to be to big. I don’t think your boy would be very happy bounceing around and a beice of hard plastic. They are meant to be tight so this doen’t happen. ---
**Author:** ![JoeyBlades](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a87d85/32.png) [@JoeyBlades](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoeyBlades)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2000, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-jock-straps/26161/15 "2000-07-20T15:38:30Z")
> [@](#): > > Can anyone tell me what the point of an athletic supporter really is? Well, my stuff has a tendancy to bounce about without a supporter. I’ve jogged and done other sorts of vigorous exercise in just my underwear before, but frankly I don’t like it. More importantly, an athletic supporter prevents the testes from twisting in the scrotum. Testicular torsion is a real problem and athletic supporters can help eliminate the risk. Also, athletic supporters can be important to swimmers. The body has a natural tendancy to retract the testes when they become too cold, however some people’s retraction mechanisms don’t function correctly. Jocks will keep your testes near your body where they can be kept warm. Too cold, and you could be rendered temporarily sterile. They used to say that athletic supporters could help prevent herias - I don’t think reputable doctors believe this anymore… Of course, there’s the important social aspect. When I see a guy getting ready for a workout in just his underwear, I think “wimp”. Serious atheletes wear serious equipment… [wink] ---
**Author:** ![jayron\_32](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/41988e/32.png) [@jayron\_32](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayron_32)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2000, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-jock-straps/26161/16 "2000-07-20T15:44:31Z")
I used to run track in H.S., and used to practice and compete in (horror of horrors!) boxer shorts. My balls didn’t seem to have a problem with running, for the most part the physical/pyschological aspect of preparation meant that they often “went home” when it was necessary. They knew their place, and I never felt much of a need to give them any more support. I never had a problem with my balls flopping around too much when running. They just tightened up with a little physical activity, and I never gave it a second thought. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2000, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-jock-straps/26161/17 "2000-07-20T16:46:03Z")
It amazes me that they even bother trying to sell jocks and cups labelled “small.” I don’t care how well it might fit, I sure as hell ain’t gonna stroll up to the checkout with one of those babies. I say they start with large, and go up from there. Like soft drinks in movie theaters. And maybe they could be more creative with the size designations. Grande? Super Big Gulp? Or like amusement park rides. The whip snake, the python, the anaconda! As a boxers guy, I find jock uncomfortable just because it is tight - but I also find jockeys uncomfortably restrictive. Right here I have a Bike medium and a “The” Duke large, and the boys fit in both just fine. And much of my working out other than weightlifting is martial arts, so I always wear a cup. Think a cup is uncomfortable, try the alternative. For hoops I would be no more or less uncomfortable in jockeys, other than a jock is cooler, perhaps. ---
**Author:** ![plnnr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2000, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-jock-straps/26161/18 "2000-07-20T17:05:32Z")
Sorry, Joey, but you’ve got the temperature effects on sperm backwards (had to see a fertility specialist prior to birth of my daughter, so I got this from a urologist himself). Sperm are effected by heat, not cold. That’s why your scrotum relaxes in the heat and your testicles descend. Too much heat and the sperm die. Cold doesn’t bother them unless it is frost-bite inducing - then you’ve got bigger problems. ---
**Author:** ![JoeyBlades](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a87d85/32.png) [@JoeyBlades](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoeyBlades)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2000, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-jock-straps/26161/19 "2000-07-20T18:29:28Z")
plnnr: Actually, I’ve always been told it’s both. That’s why your scrotum retracts **AND** descends - it’s regulating the temperature. If cold didn’t matter, there would be no need for the scrotum to retract and the boys would just hang low all the time… ---
**Author:** ![tcburnett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c5a1d2/32.png) [@tcburnett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tcburnett)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2000, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-jock-straps/26161/20 "2000-07-20T18:40:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by JoeyBlades \* > \*\*Gimme a break guys. I think I know how to wear a jock. Yes, I know the label goes on the outside. No, I’m not talking about a cup (actually I don’t have this problem with my cup supporter because it does stretch quite a bit). > \*\* We know you do. We were just funnin’ ya. I had to start having my jock straps custom made. None of the standard ones would accomodate a thimble as a cup. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-jock-straps/26161.md?page=2)