WOMEN ARE NOT JUST SMALL MEN…
When written in capitals and bold font, it seems a fairly obvious statement to make.
But then why is so much sports science research and implementation based on this misguided assumption?
Evidence suggests only 6% of sport science research is directly targeted at female athletes
‘Women are not just small men’ has already been criticised as a common misconception when it comes to equipment and clothing in sport, but while there are signs in some areas that female specific items are becoming more readily available, we still see evidence that only 6% of research into sport science is directly targeted to understand the female body in respect to performance.
It is arguable that the situation is even worse when you consider that of that 6%, not all of the studies considered the menstrual cycle in the research or recorded its impact as a variant in the outcomes.
There are legitimate reasons why doing so is difficult, but it’s clear that the numbers do not tell a positive story and therefore it is understandable to see the likes of Jazmin Sawyers follow on from Eilish McColgan in 2022 and Dina Asher-Smith in 2021 becoming the latest in a long line of female athletes quite justifiably calling for a better understanding, and more targeted approach to women-specific sport science research.
You only have to look at events in Australia and New Zealand, where an avalanche of ACL injuries has been impacting the FIFA Women’s World Cup for evidence of why more work is urgently needed in this area. It stands to reason that if, as stated, only 6% of research was female specific, then so much of the practical implementation of scientific development stands, albeit wobbly, on a foundation of women being small men.
This is something we at Sport Science Agency have been acutely aware of for some time, and importantly, is an area we are keen to work more in having already made good progress through our efforts with Vodafone and their relationship with the Welsh Rugby Union.
Our work has contributed to the development of a menstrual tracking programme that is part of Vodafone’s PLAYER.Connect platform, that allows the aggregation of data from athletes’ wearable devices allowing the performance team at the WRU to analyse how the menstrual cycle impacts performance, wellbeing and recovery.
This development follows studies that have shown that 67% of female rugby players believe menstrual cycle-related symptoms severely impact their performance – and why would anyone think it wouldn’t?!
That’s not to play down an individual’s experience to an issue that impacts everyone differently, but future studies need to embed it as a possible variant in all areas of research if they are to be truly equitable and of value for female sporting performance.
SSA are in conversations with other brands about this important area and are working to develop the understanding of female performance and deliver improved insight to benefit female athletes in as many areas as possible.
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Sport Science Agency uses its insight and expertise to tell performance stories and unlocks their value for brands, broadcasters and rights holders. To see some of our work click here If you want to know more about what we can do for you, drop us a note via info@sportscienceagency.com and we can arrange to go for a healthy vitamin-packed drink.