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 EP7: Injury risk & ACL injuries in females and what we can do about it.

April 19, 2021 • Kelly McNulty • Season 1 • Episode 7

On today’s episode I am delighted to be joined by Elisa Nédélec, a PhD student at Nottingham Trent University who is investigating the potential impact of reproductive hormones on the incidence of non-contact ACL injuries in female athletes. Elisa completed her Masters in Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation in Belgium and worked for eight years as a sports physiotherapist, specialised in orthopaedics, traumatology, and global postural rehabilitation. Her research interests include female physiology in sport and exercise, sport injury primary and secondary prevention, and the potential a pluri-disciplinary team has for ensuring a more equal practice of sports for girls and women’.

Generally, injury risk is largely sport specific, but there are differences between males and females. Specifically, research indicates that women are up to 3-6 times more likely to sustain an ACL injury when compared to men. Therefore this episode is here to shine a light on female-specific injuries in sport and exercise as we discuss the risks and what to be aware of in terms of ACL injuries, including how the menstrual cycle and oral contraceptive use might affect injury risk and injuries before highlighting what we can potential do to minimise these risks as female athletes 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: Elisa Nédélec: Twitter: @ElisaNedelec

Additional resources: FAIR-ACL Project: Twitter: @fairaclproject | https://fairaclproject.isrg.org.uk/

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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