Female Athlete Podcast

This episode takes a dive into the experiences of Olympian Steph Davis and elite triathlete turned marathon runner Heather Townsend.  Steph finished top GB finisher at the Tokyo Games and last October had her first child.  Heather competed regularly on the international triathlon circuit and has twin boys and balances full time work. Both are super female power houses and had very different pregnancy and post partum experiences. A very insightful episode!

In this episode we have Sophie Jenz with us, a rising star in the field of neuromuscular physiology research. Sophie has an interesting background with lots of experience in applied practice of strength training for females, which ultimately directed her to her current research area. Sophie is coming to the end of her PhD and her work so far has certainly impacted the way in which we think about females in this area of research. Tune in to here more about the specifics of how and why the hormones are, again, so important in the way our muscles and nerves work together to allow us to move at varying levels!

In this episode Georgie and Jess are joined by Prof Abi Smith-Ryan, a Professor  in exercise physiology and nutrition at University of North Carolina. Abi has a wealth of experience conducting human intervention studies trying to unpick the mechanisms of different exercise and nutritional strategies on physiology and metabolism. She has a particular interest in trying to understand why these responses may vary between sexes and more specifically how this may change along with the female sex hormones at distinct times within the lifespan. Abi is an experienced researcher who came to begin her career as a result of her own experiences in sport.  This episode drills down into the true nuances within nutrition and provides a number of very useful take homes! We hope you enjoy. 

On this weeks episode Georgie and Jess discuss the many extras that can influence the way our hormones work and fluctuate.  Many of us are aware of the implications of energy availability on menstrual cycles and the regularity of female sex hormones, but energy is not the only factor at play. There are many other things within our environment that can impact the way our hormones work. The covid-19 pandemic was a good example of this and some of our own research showcased the impact of environmental stress quite clearly. This episode details some of those wider reaching areas that have impact on our hormones and how we may be able to manage those if and when such instances arrive. Tune in to find out how this may be able to help you or athletes you work wtih!

In this episode we chat to Sian Allen who is the research manager with the product innovation team at Lululemon. Hear how to Sian applies scientific knowledge to key aspects of sports wear development and the fundamentals when it comes to sports bras! Also featured are NTU researchers Dr Katy Griggs and Katie Reeves who have some exciting work in this area with regards to appropriate sports bra's across all stages of the female lifespan! We hope you enjoy!

In this episode Jess speaks with researcher and SENr registered nutritionist Samantha Abbott. Sam has a wealth of knowledge around female athletes, the menstrual cycle and gut health/symptoms. She has also worked with athletes on an individual basis at varying levels so is able to provide advice from both her academic knowledge and applied practice. Gut health has received a lot of attention in the media lately and a lot can be a little confusing. This episode should provide clarity on why the female sex hormones have a role in the gut and how we can support athletes to manage their gut symptoms to improve their performance.

In this episode Georgie and Jess revisit some of the tips around tracking your menstrual cycle and why it can help female athletes utilise their super power! Although this topic has been covered before there are still many questions on the do's and don'ts, so hopefully this episode provides a means to get started!

We live in a world where we can measure almost everything about ourselves. Heart rate, sleep scores, stress scores, training loads, heart rate variability the list is ultimately endless! On one hand this demonstrates substantial improvements in technology, but on the other side this can be quite overwhelming and sometimes might result in missing training/exercise when we don't necessarily need to. Georgie and Jess take a deep dive into what this data means and how you can manage it sensibly, giving some real world examples from athlete populations we have worked with. As always any questions reach out to us on our instagram @femaleathletepod Thanks for listening!

After a long stint away from the podcast The female athlete podcast is finally back! This episode unpicks all the reasons why we should and need to acknowledge sex differences within both sport and research.  Dr Georgie Bruinvels and Dr Jessica Piasecki delve into some of the reasons why males and female are physiologically different and how we can utilise these differences in a positive way.  Sex differences of course occur within the science but this actually may be visible in other aspects of our lives that are not quite as noticeable!

It's a busy one! In our final episode of Series 5, we answer two questions around the mirena coil, discuss how to deal with the impact of puberty on performance, why it's important to listen to your body when training through pregnancy and we give our book recommendations as we head into the autumn months! Thank you again for providing us with some interesting topic points. Keep your questions coming! Visit the link in our Instagram to submit a question. Books: Choosing to Run: A Memoir, Des Linden The Female Factor, Dr Hazel Wallace The Wild Card, Judy Murray Lioness My Journey To Glory, Beth Mead Good For A Girl, Lauren Fleshman Previous FAP episodes: Sophie Power Female Athlete Podcast episode, S2, E13 Jo Pavey Female Athlete Podcast episode, S2, E4  *Disclaimer: Materials and content in the Female Athlete Podcast are intended as general information only and should not be substituted for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment

In this episode we are joined by Sue Anstiss MBE and Dr Ali Bowes to talk about the recent Netflix documentary 'Game On- The Unstoppable Rise of Women's Sport'. Sue was the presenter and producer of the documentary which highlights some of the issues historically faced by women in sport and the knock on effects still impacting women and girls today. We discuss barriers placed in the way of women taking part in sport such as the female frailty myth, inappropriate clothes women have traditionally been made to wear when participating or competing, plus how we can continue the fight and help remove barriers for women and girls in a world historically dominated and controlled by men. Watch the Game On- The Unstoppable Rise of Women's Sport trailer. Read Sue's book Game On- The Unstoppable Rise of Women's Sport. Join the Women's Sport Collective. Follow Dr Ali Bowes on Twitter Follow Sue Anstiss on Twitter

In this episode we speak to long-distance triathlete Emma Pallant-Browne. Recently Emma raced whilst on her period and bled through to her race suit...and it made the news. When a Twitter user called out a picture taken of Emma during the race to be cropped so the blood wouldn’t show, Emma responded in such an empowering and honest way (check out her most recent post on Instagram) and the text below. Emma wrote in response to the tweet: "Thanks for caring but definitely something I’m not shy to talk about because it’s the reality of females in sport. My period comes over a month in between and there will be one day where it is super heavy. "I pray it won’t be race day but every now and then it is. No matter what tampon I have experimented with, for anything over three hours it’s too heavy. So just as someone might get gut issues in a race I have to suck it up and give what I have and not be afraid to talk to women who have the same problem.” We chat to Emma about the incident, the response she received on social media after her post and why she wants to continue to break down barriers for female athletes in this area. And if, like Lucy, you were wondering... here is a what a menstrual disc is! 

In this episode we cover breast injuries and breast pain, including how common it is, why breast injuries in particular go under-reported, plus what you can do to help, such as wearing a correct sports bra and tracking breast pain throughout your cycle. We also cover how to stay motivated during periods of injury and why doing research in females is so hard, and the areas which need more attention (all!) Thank you again for providing us with some interesting topic points. Keep your questions coming! Visit the link in our Instagram to submit a question. Recommended sports bras: For contact sports- Boob Armour / Shock Absorber For running (& Jess' recommendation)- Puma For growing bodies- Limitless Telegraph article: Why breast injuries are slipping under the radar in sport

In this episode we discuss the relevance of International Women's Day (this episode was recorded on 15th March), and we answer listeners questions around osteoporosis, osteopenia, and ask can the pill mask a menstrual dysfunction such as amenorrhea? The team also give strategies and tips around how to help get your period back when coming off the pill. Plus, we discuss the various menstrual cycle technologies and apps, including period relief device Myoovie. Thank you again for providing us with some interesting topic points. Keep your questions coming! Visit the link in our Instagram to submit a question.

In this episode we answer listeners questions across a range of topics. Including: What are the key things women should be aware of in regards to iron? How can endometriosis sufferers tailor their training? Plus, we give advice and personal stories about social media comments and abuse and how best to deal with it. We also recommend an awesome new book around women in running and the inequalities they face, plus how we can help create change. Link below. Thank you again for providing us with some interesting topic points. Keep your questions coming! Visit the link in our Instagram. Book recommendation: Good for a Girl: A Woman Running in a Man's World Previous FAP episodes around Iron: Previous FAP episodes around Endometriosis: Previous FAP episode on athletes dealing with Social Media Abuse:

Our questions this week are around coaching the female athlete. We chat about the challenges for male coaches and ask are females the preferred option? Also, should National or World Governing Bodies be expected to take on the responsibility of educating their athletes or should it fall to parents?  We discuss how we can ensure coaches and clubs are educated on the various topics of female athlete health.  Plus, we answer a question on the culture of running and weight and the concept of a “race weight”. We ask whether athletics is beginning to break away from this sometimes damaging culture and environment. Thank you again for providing us with some interesting topic points. Keep your questions coming! 

In our second episode back, we're chatting through more listener questions and we're focussing on Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S). We cover what RED-S is, how it may present, how to deal with RED-S when returning from having a baby and the difference between RED-S and Overtraining Syndrome. Send in your questions for future episodes here. Helpful resources: Returning to running postnatal guidelines Project Red-S: Pippa Woolven

We're back for Series 5 and answering your questions! In this episode we catch up with all the happenings of the past six months, highlights include travels to New Zealand, getting married, buying a house and competing in the World Championships to name a few! But enough about us, we're back to answer our listener questions around female athlete health. This episode sees us chat about the menstrual cycle and training, how to adapt in different phases, plus how injury and illness may be impacted by the phase of your cycle you're in and why stress, illness, injury and under fuelling may cause delays to your period. Please feel free to send in your questions for future episodes via our Form or via our Instagram page.

In this episode we speak about a topic close to our hearts: how to get more people speaking openly about the menstrual cycle and why it is so important the area becomes less stigmatised. We ask when is it the right time to bring it up with your coach as an athlete and vice versa or as a parent. We give our top tips for starting this conversation both at home and in a sports setting and more generally with your friends and colleagues. We speak to ten time Olympic swimming medalist Allison Schmitt who tells us about her experiences and anxiety of being on her period when competing in the pool and how she developed an open and positive relationship around the topic with her male coach. This episode was recorded in collaboration with Orreco and FitrWoman's Summer of 2022 education campaign encouraging more people to open up and have the conversation about their menstrual cycle. For more resources visit the FitrWoman website. 

How about we cover all stages of the female life cycle in one episode? Let's do it! From puberty, menarche and menstruation, to pregnancy, peri-menopause and beyond, in this episode we discuss the physiology, hormonal changes, nutrition and exercise requirements of the female life cycle. We also touch on bone health through the different stages and the wellness and mental health aspects of going through puberty and peri-menopause. Plus we chat about the research relevant to the various stages- it's a bit of a whirlwind tour but we enjoyed covering the whole lot in one episode, hope you do too! Resources: Return to running postnatal guidelines Twitter: Dr Georgie Bruinvels Twitter: Dr Jess Piasecki Twitter: FitrWoman and FitrWoman Instagram FitrWoman website