Background: Female-specific science, medicine, and innovation have grown steadily since the turn of the decade as the focus on female sport continues to advance. While this growth is welcome, and despite the best of intentions, it is not always coupled with valuable application. Purpose: This commentary discusses barriers faced when developing and applying sport-science research and innovation activities in female sport. We offer several practical solutions to help safeguard the progress of female athlete health and performance support. We make 3 suggestions: (1) multicenter studies to increase the number of elite athletes participating in research and enhance statistical power, which is often lacking in sport-science research; (2) further acceptance of case studies in elite sport research, as they can include context alongside athlete data that more traditional research designs perhaps do not; and (3) collaborative, codesigned approaches to research and innovation, wherein researchers, practitioners, and athletes all contribute to balancing scientific rigor with applied “real-world” understanding, which may result in the generation of richer, more meaningful knowledge for the benefit of female athletes and their environments.
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Female Athlete Sport Science Versus Applied Practice: Bridging the Gap
Richard J. Burden, Anita Biswas, and Anthony C. Hackney
Increased Oxidative Stress in Injured and Ill Elite International Olympic Rowers
Nathan A. Lewis, Andrew J. Simpkin, Sarah Moseley, Gareth Turner, Mark Homer, Ann Redgrave, Charles R. Pedlar, and Richard Burden
Background: Identifying strategies that reduce the risk of illness and injury is an objective of sports science and medicine teams. No studies have examined the relationship between oxidative stress (OS) and illness or injury in international athletes undergoing periods of intensified training and competition. Purpose: The authors aimed to identify relationships between illness, injury, and OS. Methods: A longitudinal, observational study of elite male rowers (n = 10) was conducted over 18 weeks, leading into World Championships. Following a recovery day and a 12-hour fast, hydroperoxides (free oxygen radicals test) and total antioxidant capacity (free oxygen radicals defense) were measured in venous blood, with the ratio calculated as the oxidative stress index (OSI). At all study time points, athletes were independently dichotomized as ill or not ill, injured or not injured. OS data were compared between groups using independent t tests. A Cox proportional hazard model was used to assess the association of OS with injury and illness while adjusting for age and body mass index. Results: Free oxygen radicals defense was lower (P < .02) and OSI was higher (P < .001) with illness than without illness. Free oxygen radicals test and OSI were higher with injury than without injury (P < .001). A 0.5 mmol·L−1 increase in free oxygen radicals defense was associated with a 30.6% illness risk reduction (95% confidence interval, 7%–48%, P = .014), whereas 0.5 unit increase in OSI was related to a 11.3% increased illness risk (95% confidence interval, 1%–23%, P = .036). Conclusions: OS is increased in injured and ill athletes. Monitoring OS may be advantageous in assessing recovery from and in reducing injury and illness risk given the association.
Methodological Considerations for Investigating Iron Status and Regulation in Exercise and Sport Science Studies
Alannah K.A. McKay, Marc Sim, Diego Moretti, Rebecca Hall, Trent Stellingwerff, Richard J. Burden, and Peter Peeling
Iron deficiency is a common health issue in active and athlete populations. Accordingly, research into iron status, regulation, absorption, and iron deficiency treatment strategies is increasing at a rapid rate. However, despite the increase in the quantity of research, various methodological issues need to be addressed as we progress our knowledge in this area. The purpose of this review is to highlight specific considerations for conducting iron-related research in active and athlete populations. First, we discuss the methodological importance of assessment and interpretation of iron status, with reference to blood collection protocols, participant screening procedures, and biomarker selection. Next, we consider numerous variables that should be accounted for in the design of iron-related research studies, such as the iron regulatory hormone hepcidin and its interaction with exercise, in addition to an examination of female physiology and its impact on iron metabolism. Subsequently, we explore dietary iron and nutrient interactions that impact iron regulation and absorption, with recommendations made for optimal methodological control. Consideration is then given to key features of long-term study designs, such as the monitoring of training load, oral iron supplementation, dietary analysis, and general lifestyle factors. Finally, we conclude our recommendations with an exploration of stable iron isotope tracers as a methodology to measure iron absorption. Ultimately, it is our intention that this review can be used as a guide to improve study design, biomarker analysis, and reporting of findings, to maximize the quality of future research outputs in iron-related research focused on active and athlete populations.
