FIFA is funding research at Kingston University to explore a potential connection between the menstrual cycle and the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries that occur more frequently in women`s soccer players than in men`s.
Several prominent female players have recently suffered ACL injuries, including Vivianne Miedema, Beth Mead, and Sam Kerr, who has been sidelined from the Chelsea team for 15 months.
Simon Augustus, a senior lecturer in sport biomechanics, stated, “We want to examine whether athletes may be more predisposed to injuries because of the functional changes in terms of their anatomy and physiology during the menstrual cycle. We know hormones fluctuate during different phases of the cycle, but we don’t yet know how much of an influence that may have on the risk of injury.”
The study, which is part of the FIFA Research Scholarship program, aims to reduce injury risk by tailoring training programs to individual athlete needs. The one-year project is set to begin in June. Experts from Kingston University will collaborate with clubs in South West London, including Chelsea and Fulham. Athletes participating in the research will make regular visits to the campus for blood tests and physical performance evaluations.
Researchers will analyze hormone concentrations in blood samples, particularly female hormones like estrogen and progesterone. These hormones have been associated with increased ligament laxity – meaning joints become more flexible than usual – and a decrease in neuromuscular reaction times, which refers to how quickly the nervous system receives a stimulus and triggers a muscular response.
The hormone concentration data will be compared against the players` physical performance results to determine if there is a correlation between ACL injury risk factors and the specific phase of an athlete`s menstrual cycle. The study will also investigate the most common ways athletes sustain ACL injuries.
The research team will be led by PhD student Blake Rivers, working alongside Kingston`s sports and exercise science experts: Simon Augustus, James Brouner, and Michelle Richards.
Augustus explained, “We know some injuries are unavoidable, for example, if a player is involved in a bad tackle. But we’re attempting to help those individuals who injure their ACL outside of impact actions – those are the ones where we might have more chance to intervene and prevent them from taking place by utilizing strength training or tweaking technique.”
