Female Athlete Education
Empowering female athletes to understand their unique physiology
We want to give all female athletes the information and tools to better understand their bodies in order to maximize health and performance. Understanding the impacts of the menstrual cycle and how hormones affect overall health and well-being can help athletes to better understand the importance of proper fueling. With adequate fueling and recovery comes the opportunity to be a lifelong athlete.
Our goal is to break down the science and provide the knowledge and tools to you in an accessible and fun way!
Is there a topic you’d like to know more about? Send our team an email and let us know!
FASTR Educational Video Series
We are thrilled to share our five part FASTR Educational Video Series with you! These videos include expert content, scientific animations, and interviews with top athletes to inform and inspire female athletes! In these videos we cover topics including the Female Athlete Triad and RED-S, sports nutrition basics, bone health, the menstrual cycle, and mental health. We hope that these videos will serve as a jumping off point for athletes as well as coaches, parents, athletic trainers, and anyone else with the goal of supporting long term health, well-being, and performance in female athletes!
Let's do This:
Understanding the Female Athlete Triad and Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S)
View HERE
Fueling is Fun:
Nutrition Principles
View HERE
Bone Builders:
All About Bone Health
View HERE
Periods are Powerful:
The Menstrual Cycle Overview
View HERE
We Got This:
Mental Health and Body Image
View HERE
Breaking Down the Science
September 12, 2022
The Importance of Adequate Carbohydrate Intake
News and Podcasts with the FASTR Team
Below are journal articles in the field of female athlete research, podcasts of interest, and team favorite recipes to fuel your training or next adventure!
Female Athlete Study Design and Methodology
- Smith, E. S., McKay, A. K., Ackerman, K. E., Harris, R., Elliott-Sale, K. J., Stellingwerff, T., & Burke, L. M. (2022). Methodology Review: A Protocol to Audit the Representation of Female Athletes in Sports Science and Sports Medicine Research. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 32(2), 114-127.
Sports Nutrition
- Holtzman B, Ackerman KE. Recommendations and Nutritional Considerations for Female Athletes: Health and Performance. Sports Med. 2021 Sep;51(Suppl 1):43-57.
RED-S and The Female Athlete Triad
- Mountjoy M, Sundgot-Borgen JK, Burke LM, Ackerman KE, Blauwet C, Constantini N, Lebrun C, Lundy B, Melin AK, Meyer NL, Sherman RT, Tenforde AS, Klungland Torstveit M, Budgett R. IOC consensus statement on relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S): 2018 update. Br J Sports Med. 2018 Jun;52(11):687-697.
- De Souza, M. J., Nattiv, A., Joy, E., Misra, M., Williams, N. I., Mallinson, R. J., Gibbs, J. C., Olmsted, M., Goolsby, M. & Matheson, G. (2014). 2014 Female Athlete Triad Coalition Consensus Statement on Treatment and Return to Play of the Female Athlete Triad. Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine, 24 (2), 96-119.
Mental Health
- Reardon CL, Hainline B, Aron CM, Baron D, Baum AL, Bindra A, Budgett R, Campriani N, Castaldelli-Maia JM, Currie A, Derevensky JL, Glick ID, Gorczynski P, Gouttebarge V, Grandner MA, Han DH, McDuff D, Mountjoy M, Polat A, Purcell R, Putukian M, Rice S, Sills A, Stull T, Swartz L, Zhu LJ, Engebretsen L. Mental health in elite athletes: International Olympic Committee consensus statement (2019). Br J Sports Med. 2019 Jun;53(11):667-699. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2019-100715. PMID: 31097450.
Menstrual Cycle
- Bruinvels, G., Hackney, A.C. & Pedlar, C.R. Menstrual Cycle: The Importance of Both the Phases and the Transitions Between Phases on Training and Performance. Sports Med 52, 1457–1460 (2022).
- Elliott-Sale, K.J., Minahan, C.L., de Jonge, X.A.K.J. et al. Methodological Considerations for Studies in Sport and Exercise Science with Women as Participants: A Working Guide for Standards of Practice for Research on Women. Sports Med 51, 843–861 (2021).
- We Do Science- The Performance Nutrition Podcast
- Voice In Sport
- Female Athlete Nutrition
- The period of the period
Animations courtesy Michelle Lehman. Photo of Latoya Shauntay Snell by W. Eric Snell, Sr. of E. Snell Design.
Work with Our Team
We welcome faculty, staff, alumni, and external organizations to collaborate with the FASTR Program, please contact us via email if you are interested! If you are a student interested in doing research with our team, fill our the interest form below and go to the Students page of our website for more information.