the period of the period.

Sport & exercise are for everyone... aren’t they? Society has probably led us to believe that women and sport & exercise don’t mix. But recently there has been a rise in the number of women participating in exercise, from physical activity to elite sport and because of this our understanding on how to optimise female health and performance in sport and exercise must also increase. However, at the moment there is a lack of awareness, evidenced-based education and support surrounding female-specific performance and health considerations, from the menstrual cycle to hormonal contraceptives, alongside, breast health, pelvic floor health, pregnancy and the menopause. This podcast is here to change this narrative and discuss all the female-specific topics that have went relatively under the radar for so long.

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the period of the period.

SE1 EP2: Hormonal contraception, performance & training.

March 15, 2021 • Kelly McNulty/ Kirsty Elliott-Sale • Season 1 • Episode 2

On today’s episode I am joined by Dr Kirsty Elliott-Sale. Kirsty is an Associate Professor of Female Physiology and the Head of the Musculoskeletal Physiology Research Group at Nottingham Trent University. Kirsty completed her PhD at Liverpool John Moore’s University which examined the effects of female reproductive hormones on muscle strength and since then her work has mainly focused on female athletes. On this episode we explore hormonal contraception and discuss the impact it has on our physiology, the potential influence it can have on our performance and training as active females and then finish with some practical tips for sportswomen and those working with them.

If you enjoyed listening to this episode, please leave a rating and review, and please share with your teammates, coaches, friends, and family!

Resources: Dr. Kirsty Elliott-Sale: Info: https://www.ntu.ac.uk/staff-profiles/science-technology/kirsty-elliott-sale | ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Kirsty-Elliott-Sale | Twitter: @ElliottSale

Elliott-Sale, K. J., McNulty, K. L., Ansdell, P., Goodall, S., Hicks, K. M., Thomas, K., ... & Dolan, E. (2020). The effects of oral contraceptives on exercise performance in women: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports medicine, 1-28.

Martin, D., Sale, C., Cooper, S. B., & Elliott-Sale, K. J. (2018). Period prevalence and perceived side effects of hormonal contraceptive use and the menstrual cycle in elite athletes. International journal of sports physiology and performance, 13(7), 926-932.

Season 1 of the podcast is kindly sponsored by Umi Health. Umi Health are on a mission to make pelvic health accessible to every woman, everywhere. Exclusively for the listeners Umi Health are offering a 7-day free trial - all you need to do is go to their website and enter the code PERIOD at either sign up or upgrade. For more information: www.umi-health.com| Insta @umihealth | Twitter: @HealthUmi | Facebook: @UmiHealthLtd

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*Disclaimer: Material and content discussed on The Period of The Period Podcast are intended for general information only and should not be substituted for medical advice*.

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