The Challenge of Applying and Undertaking Research in Female Sport

TLDR

The rapid professionalization of female sports has increased demand for evidence‑based practice, yet the scarcity of research on elite female athletes hampers the adoption of such approaches. This article examines the difficulties of applying evidence derived from male athletes to female athletes. A conceptual framework is offered that highlights the necessity of questioning the male‑centric evidence base because physiological and environmental differences in female athletes create unique challenges for practitioners. Until a comparable applied sport‑science evidence base for female athletes is established, evidence‑informed approaches will remain difficult to implement.

Abstract

In recent years there has been an exponential rise in the professionalism and success of female sports. Practitioners (e.g., sport science professionals) aim to apply evidence-informed approaches to optimise athlete performance and well-being. Evidence-informed practices should be derived from research literature. Given the lack of research on elite female athletes, this is challenging at present. This limits the ability to adopt an evidence-informed approach when working in female sports, and as such, we are likely failing to maximize the performance potential of female athletes. This article discusses the challenges of applying an evidence base derived from male athletes to female athletes. A conceptual framework is presented, which depicts the need to question the current (male) evidence base due to the differences of the "female athlete" and the "female sporting environment," which pose a number of challenges for practitioners working in the field. Until a comparable applied sport science research evidence base is established in female athletes, evidence-informed approaches will remain a challenge for those working in female sport.