Female Athletes
15 articles
NutritionSeptember 2, 2026 · 10 MIN
Iron Supplementation for Female Endurance Athletes: Testing, Dosing, and Timing
Up to 50% of female endurance athletes are iron deficient. Learn how menstrual losses, foot-strike haemolysis, and training volume deplete iron stores — and the evidence-based protocol to restore and maintain optimal ferritin levels.
NutritionSeptember 2, 2026 · 11 MIN
Hormonal Contraception and Endurance Performance: What the Research Says
Over 50% of female endurance athletes use hormonal contraception, yet few understand its effects on VO2max, thermoregulation, and recovery. Here is the evidence on how different contraceptive types affect training and racing.
TrainingAugust 29, 2026 · 10 MIN
Training Around Your Menstrual Cycle: When to Push and When to Rest
Performance can vary by 5-15% across the menstrual cycle. Understanding the four phases — and what each one means for your training — lets you work with your biology instead of against it.
NutritionAugust 26, 2026 · 10 MIN
Nutrition for Pregnant and Postpartum Runners
Running through pregnancy and the postpartum period requires a recalibrated nutrition strategy. Here's the evidence-based framework covering iron, folate, DHA, protein, and the return-to-run nutrition timeline.
NutritionAugust 23, 2026 · 10 MIN
Nutrition for Menopausal Endurance Athletes: Adapting Fueling to Hormonal Changes
Declining oestrogen fundamentally alters how your body stores glycogen, metabolises protein, and regulates fluid. Here is how to adapt your nutrition strategy for peak endurance performance through menopause.
RecoveryAugust 22, 2026 · 9 MIN
Pelvic Floor Health for Female Runners: Prevention, Strengthening, and When to Seek Help
Up to 50% of female athletes experience urinary incontinence during high-impact activity. Learn how running affects your pelvic floor, evidence-based strengthening exercises, and when to seek specialist help.
TrainingAugust 12, 2026 · 9 MIN
Running During Pregnancy: A Trimester-by-Trimester Safety Guide
Current ACOG guidelines support continued running throughout pregnancy for healthy women. This trimester-specific guide covers pace adjustments, heart rate ceilings, warning signs, and when to modify or stop.
RecoveryJuly 30, 2026 · 9 MIN
Recovering from RED-S: A Step-by-Step Guide for Endurance Athletes
Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport affects both female and male athletes and causes cascading damage to bone health, hormonal function, immunity, and performance. This evidence-based recovery guide explains the return-to-training pathway.
HydrationJuly 29, 2026 · 8 MIN
Hydration for Female Athletes: How the Menstrual Cycle Affects Fluid Needs
Oestrogen and progesterone directly affect plasma volume, sweat rate, and thirst sensitivity throughout the menstrual cycle. Female athletes who understand these shifts can personalise their hydration for every training phase.
TrainingJuly 18, 2026 · 9 MIN
Perimenopause and Endurance Training: Adapting Your Training and Nutrition as Hormones Shift
The hormonal transitions of perimenopause — typically beginning in the early-to-mid 40s — directly affect VO2max, recovery rate, muscle mass, bone density, and thermoregulation. Evidence-based adjustments to training and nutrition can preserve or even improve performance through this transition.
NutritionJuly 16, 2026 · 8 MIN
Bone Health for Female Endurance Athletes: Preventing Stress Fractures and Long-Term Density Loss
Female runners have 3–4× higher stress fracture risk than male runners, and early bone density loss from low energy availability can have permanent consequences. A comprehensive guide to female-specific bone health in endurance sport.
TrainingJuly 15, 2026 · 8 MIN
Postpartum Return to Running: An Evidence-Based Timeline and Progressive Protocol
Returning to running too soon after childbirth is one of the most common causes of pelvic floor dysfunction in female runners. Here's the research-backed 12-week progressive return protocol and the red-flag symptoms that require assessment first.
NutritionJune 17, 2026 · 8 MIN
Fueling Around Your Menstrual Cycle: A Female Athlete's Nutrition Guide
Hormonal fluctuations across the menstrual cycle alter fuel metabolism, hydration needs, iron requirements, and recovery capacity. Nutrition tailored to your cycle can meaningfully improve performance.
NutritionJune 12, 2026 · 8 MIN
Iron Deficiency in Runners: Symptoms, Testing, and How to Fix It
Iron deficiency is the most common nutritional problem in endurance athletes — and the most likely to be missed. Here's how to recognise it, what blood tests to request, and how to correct it.
TrainingMay 20, 2026 · 8 MIN
RED-S in Female Runners: Early Warning Signs Most Athletes Miss
Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport affects 22–58% of competitive female endurance athletes. Many don't know they have it until the damage is done. Here's what to look for.