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By this stage, many of us are aware that the menstrual cycle affects female physiology and this can have knock-on impacts, from injury to training adaptation. Despite knowing this, many professionals who work with women struggle to have these conversations. As a physio, I used to think it wasn't within my scope of practice to discuss it. I’ve known many coaches who felt like it was unprofessional or “too personal”. In particular, male professionals can feel daunted by the prospect of discussing what is often considered a taboo subject. The reality is, female athletes will only learn through the professionals...

Amenorrhea The ins and outs of absent periods Amenorrhea refers to the absence of the natural menstrual cycle in women of childbearing age. This does not include women who are pre-pubescent, post-menopausal or using hormonal birth control. If menstruation has not occurred for over three months, it is considered amenorrhea.  It can occur for many reasons, most commonly from physical or psychological stress and it may be an indiction of other medical conditions associated with the reproductive organs and the hormones that govern them.  As strenuous exercise and under-eating are typical triggers for amenorrhea, it is not surprising that it's...

Injury prevention is a popular phrase in the sport and exercise industry. It normally conjures ups images of elaborate stretches and mobility drills that look like some kind of animalistic mating dance that's just missing a David Attenborough voiceover. Despite the familiarity of the phrase,  information on injury prevention tends to come predominantly from the following, not so reputable, sources. Companies using the buzz words to sell you supplements or other nonsense that have little to no evidence of actually preventing injury. Strength coaches and personal trainers dishing out “simple hacks” or protocols for preventing  injuries. This information can sometimes be useful but...

Your foam roller and your ex might have more in common than you think. You’ve had really tight muscles for as long as you can remember. You heard a few people talking about foam rolling and how it’s the key to increasing your flexibility, preventing injury and fast tracking healing. So you take the plunge. You commit to 30 mins a day because your favourite professional sports star said thats what they do. (And if James Haskell jumped off a cliff..?) At first it’s new and exciting. You cant stop bragging about it to your mates. A week in and you...

Is your gym routine helping or hindering your sport? The majority of people I surveyed, who play an organised sport, also hit the gym a few times a week. In most sports players are encouraged to do gym based training to enhance their sport but with no specific guidance what's happening in the gym might not be improving what's happening on the pitch, in the pool, on the bike etc. In fact it may well be causing problems. You want to drop kick like Beauden, jump shot like LeBron or backhand like Serena? So why do we all go to the gym and train like Arnie? Without...