Strength & Conditioning and the Female Athlete: What it is, how it can benefit, research and the menstrual cycle Artwork

Female Athlete Podcast

The Female Athlete Podcast is here to shine a light and bring focus to topics around the female body and sport and exercise which have originally gone under the radar. We'll be tackling everything from the menstrual cycle and how it affects every day women to how it impacts on sporting performance- including issues such as contraception, bone health and female physiology. Presented by three curious young women; journalist Lucy Lomax, Dr Georgie Bruinvels and Dr Jess Piasecki, this podcast isn't just for female athletes, it's for women who want to learn more about their bodies. Join us as we attempt to open up the conversation.

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Female Athlete Podcast

Strength & Conditioning and the Female Athlete: What it is, how it can benefit, research and the menstrual cycle

April 30, 2021 • Female Athlete Podcast • Season 3 • Episode 6

In this episode we focus on strength and strength training and the female athlete with Dr Rich Blagrove.

Dr Blagrove is a senior lecturer in strength and conditioning at Loughborough University and has worked within many team and individual sports developing strength and conditioning programmes for female athletes over the years. Rich also has a plethora of publications in strength and strength training.

We answer questions such as: What is strength and conditioning? Is the culture and perception changing to be more female friendly? What is the research in this area in relation to the menstrual cycle? And what further research needs to be done?

Rich Blagrove on Twitter: @rich_blagrove
Publication: Variations in strength-related measures during the menstrual cycle in eumenorrheic women: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Book (March 2021): The Science and Practice of Middle and Long Distance Running

A huge thank you to our Title Sponsors for Series 3; Umi Health. Umi is your go to, one-stop-hub for all things pelvic health, come join the revolution at umi-health.com. Want to lean more about pelvic health? Watch the Umi Essentials course for FREE, sign up here or learn with Umi Plus including incredible resources and courses around pregnancy and postnatal, all for £4.50 a month, no minimum term, cancel anytime.

Thank you to Specialized Bikes for sponsoring this episode. Specialized is the global leading bike brand aiming to serve all riders of all abilities, helping them to better enjoy every aspect of cycling. Specialized’s innovation has improved riders’ performance, comfort and understanding to enable all riders to go further and faster. Head to Specialized.com to see how it is helping pedal the planet forward.