Female Athlete Podcast

Pregnancy and Post Partum return to running

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!

Neuromuscular function in Females

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!

Body composition and supplements!

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.

The Stressors of Hormones

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!

Sports Bra's and Performance

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!