Closing the gap for female athletes
Research
Promoting understanding of female athletes' unique and understudied physiology and lived experience
6%
of studies focused exclusively on female athletes and their unique physiology, according to a 2021 review assessing the representation of males and females in sport and exercise science research.
When we are not actively coordinating or advertising our conference, many members of our committee work to close the research gap as part of The Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance & The Wu Tsai Female Athlete Program at Boston Children’s Hospital.
We conduct groundbreaking research relating to female athletes, energy availability, and more in an effort to improve the clinical care of athletes, improve female athlete performance, and empower female athletes across the world. Learn more about the Wu Tsai Female Athlete Program and our research here.
Browse some of our recent publications below and in this living document.
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1. Ackerman KE, Rogers MA, Heikura IA, Burke LM, Stellingwerff T, Hackney AC, Verhagen E, Schley S, Saville GH, Mountjoy M, Holtzman B. Methodology for studying Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs): a narrative review by a subgroup of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) consensus on REDs. Br J Sports Med. 2023 Sep;57(17):1136-1147. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2023-107359. PMID: 37752010.
2. Baskaran C, Kumar P, Plessow F, Nimmala S, Ackerman KE, Eddy KT, Pizzagalli DA, Misra M. Depressive and anxiety symptoms, and neural correlates of reward and punishment anticipation in female athletes with amenorrhea. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2023 May 18;14:976050. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2023.976050. PMID: 37274342; PMCID: PMC10233051.
3. Burke LM, Ackerman KE, Heikura IA, Hackney AC, Stellingwerff T. Mapping the complexities of Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs): development of a physiological model by a subgroup of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Consensus on REDs. Br J Sports Med. 2023 Sep;57(17):1098-1108. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2023-107335. PMID: 37752007.
4. Darroch F, Schneeberg A, Brodie R, Ferraro ZM, Wykes D, Hira S, Giles AR, Adamo KB, Stellingwerff T. Effect of Pregnancy in 42 Elite to World-Class Runners on Training and Performance Outcomes. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2023 Jan 1;55(1):93-100. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000003025. Epub 2022 Aug 16. PMID: 35975937.
5. DeJong Lempke AF, Stracciolini A, Willwerth SB, Ackerman KE, d'Hemecourt PA, Meehan WP, Whitney KE. Clinical assessment, treatment, and referral trends for adolescent runners seeking care at an injured runners' clinic. J Pediatr Rehabil Med. 2023 Nov 18. doi: 10.3233/PRM-220082. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38007679.
6. DeJong Lempke AF, Whitney KE, Stracciolini A, Ackerman KE, d'Hemecourt PA, Willwerth SB, Meehan WP 3rd. Outpatient Runners Clinic Visit Trends and Injury Characteristics Among 392 Child and Adolescent Patients: A 10-year Chart Review. Clin J Sport Med. 2023 Jul 6. doi: 10.1097/JSM.0000000000001172. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37432356.
7. Elliott Sale KJ, Flood TR, Arent SM, Dolan E, Saunders B, Hansen M, Ihalainen JK, Mikkonen RS, Minahan C, Thornton JS, Ackerman KE, Lebrun CM, Sale C, Stellingwerff T, Swinton PA, Hackney AC. Effect of menstrual cycle and contraceptive pill phase on aspects of exercise physiology and athletic performance in female athletes: protocol for the Feminae international multisite innovative project. BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med. 2023 Nov 24;9(4):e001814. doi: 10.1136/bmjsem-2023-001814. PMID: 38022756; PMCID: PMC10679978.
8. Elliott-Sale KJ, Ackerman KE, Lebrun CM, Minahan C, Sale C, Stellingwerff T, Swinton PA, Hackney AC. Feminae: an international multisite innovative project for female athletes. BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med. 2023 Oct 3;9(4):e001675. doi: 10.1136/bmjsem-2023-001675. PMID: 37808006; PMCID: PMC10551965.
9. Fensham NC, Heikura IA, McKay AKA, Tee N, Ackerman KE, Burke LM. Short-Term Carbohydrate Restriction Impairs Bone Formation at Rest and During Prolonged Exercise to a Greater Degree than Low Energy Availability. J Bone Miner Res. 2022 Oct;37(10):1915-1925. doi: 10.1002/jbmr.4658. Epub 2022 Aug 10. PMID: 35869933; PMCID: PMC9804216.
10. Garrahan M, Gehman S, Rudolph SE, Tenforde AS, Ackerman KE, Popp KL, Bouxsein ML, Sahni S. Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D is Associated With Bone Microarchitecture and Strength in a Multiracial Cohort of Young Adults. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2022 Aug 18;107(9):e3679-e3688. doi: 10.1210/clinem/dgac388. PMID: 35766873; PMCID: PMC9387703.
11. Gee CM, Caldwell HA, Stellingwerff T, West CR. Regarding Nuances in Thermophysiology of Para-Athletes across Impairment Types. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2023 Sep 22. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000003304. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37773012.
12. Gehman S, Ackerman KE, Caksa S, Rudolph SE, Hughes JM, Garrahan M, Tenforde AS, Bouxsein ML, Popp KL. Restrictive Eating and Prior Low-Energy Fractures Are Associated With History of Multiple Bone Stress Injuries. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2022 May 6;32(5):325-333. doi: 10.1123/ijsnem.2021-0323. PMID: 35523419.
13. Hackney AC, Melin AK, Ackerman KE, Torstveit MK, Burke LM, Mountjoy ML. REDs alert: male athletes be wary and scientists take action! Br J Sports Med. 2023 Sep;57(17):1066-1067. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2023-106719. PMID: 37752009.
14. Haines MS, Kaur S, Scarff G, Lauze M, Gerweck A, Slattery M, Oreskovic NM, Ackerman KE, Tenforde AS, Popp KL, Bouxsein ML, Miller KK, Misra M. Male Runners With Lower Energy Availability Have Impaired Skeletal Integrity Compared to Nonathletes. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2023 Sep 18;108(10):e1063-e1073. doi: 10.1210/clinem/dgad215. PMID: 37079740; PMCID: PMC10505543.
15. Heikura IA, Stellingwerff T, Areta JL. Low energy availability in female athletes: From the lab to the field. Eur J Sport Sci. 2022 May;22(5):709-719. doi: 10.1080/17461391.2021.1915391. Epub 2021 May 3. PMID: 33832385.
16. Hoenig T, Ackerman KE, Beck BR, Bouxsein ML, Burr DB, Hollander K, Popp KL, Rolvien T, Tenforde AS, Warden SJ. Bone stress injuries. Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2022 Apr 28;8(1):26. doi: 10.1038/s41572-022-00352-y. PMID: 35484131.
17. Hoenig T, Eissele J, Strahl A, Popp KL, Stürznickel J, Ackerman KE, Hollander K, Warden SJ, Frosch KH, Tenforde AS, Rolvien T. Return to sport following low-risk and high-risk bone stress injuries: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Br J Sports Med. 2023 Apr;57(7):427-432. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2022-106328. Epub 2023 Jan 31. PMID: 36720584.
18. Holtzman B, Popp KL, Tenforde AS, Parziale AL, Taylor K, Ackerman KE. Low energy availability surrogates associated with lower bone mineral density and bone stress injury site. PM R. 2022 May;14(5):587-596. doi: 10.1002/pmrj.12821. Epub 2022 May 16. PMID: 35460534.
19. Jonvik KL, King M, Rollo I, Stellingwerff T, Pitsiladis Y. New Opportunities to Advance the Field of Sports Nutrition. Front Sports Act Living. 2022 Feb 17;4:852230. doi: 10.3389/fspor.2022.852230. PMID: 35252862; PMCID: PMC8891369.
20. Kroshus E, Ackerman KE, Brown M, Griffin P, Durden L, Merrill J, Wilson A, Hainline B. Improving inclusion and well-being of trans and gender nonconforming collegiate student-athletes: foundational concepts from the National Collegiate Athletic Association Summit on Gender Identity and Student-Athlete Participation. Br J Sports Med. 2023 May;57(10):564-570. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2022-106392. Epub 2023 Mar 20. PMID: 36941052.
21. Kuikman MA, McKay AKA, Smith ES, Ackerman KE, Harris R, Elliott-Sale KJ, Stellingwerff T, Burke LM. Female Athlete Representation and Dietary Control Methods Among Studies Assessing Chronic Carbohydrate Approaches to Support Training. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2023 May 9;33(4):198-208. doi: 10.1123/ijsnem.2022-0214. PMID: 37160293.
22. Kuikman MA, Smith ES, McKay AKA, Ackerman KE, Harris R, Elliott-Sale KJ, Stellingwerff T, Burke LM. Fueling the Female Athlete: Auditing Her Representation in Studies of Acute Carbohydrate Intake for Exercise. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2023 Mar 1;55(3):569-580. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000003056. Epub 2022 Oct 13. PMID: 36251373; PMCID: PMC9924969.
23. Lodge MT, Ackerman KE, Garay J. Knowledge of the Female Athlete Triad and Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport Among Female Cross-Country Athletes and Support Staff. J Athl Train. 2022 Apr 1;57(4):385-392. doi: 10.4085/1062-6050-0175.21. PMID: 35439313; PMCID: PMC9020605.
24. Lundy B, McKay AKA, Fensham NC, Tee N, Anderson B, Morabito A, Ross MLR, Sim M, Ackerman KE, Burke LM. The Impact of Acute Calcium Intake on Bone Turnover Markers during a Training Day in Elite Male Rowers. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2023 Jan 1;55(1):55-65. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000003022. Epub 2022 Aug 12. PMID: 35977107; PMCID: PMC9770130.
25. McKay AKA, Minahan C, Harris R, McCormick R, Skinner J, Ackerman KE, Burke LM. Female Athlete Research Camp: A Unique Model for Conducting Research in High Performance Female Athletes. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2023 Dec 18. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000003354. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38109054.
26. McKay AKA, Sim M, Moretti D, Hall R, Stellingwerff T, Burden RJ, Peeling P. Methodological Considerations for Investigating Iron Status and Regulation in Exercise and Sport Science Studies. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2022 Apr 1;32(5):359-370. doi: 10.1123/ijsnem.2021-0343. PMID: 35365588.
27. McKay AKA, Stellingwerff T, Smith ES, Martin DT, Mujika I, Goosey-Tolfrey VL, Sheppard J, Burke LM. Defining Training and Performance Caliber: A Participant Classification Framework. Int J Sports Physiol Perform. 2022 Feb 1;17(2):317-331. doi: 10.1123/ijspp.2021-0451. Epub 2022 Dec 29. PMID: 34965513.
28. Melin AK, Areta JL, Heikura IA, Stellingwerff T, Torstveit MK, Hackney AC. Direct and indirect impact of low energy availability on sports performance. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2023 Mar 9. doi: 10.1111/sms.14327. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 36894187.
29. Moore IS, Crossley KM, Bo K, Mountjoy M, Ackerman KE, Antero JDS, Sundgot Borgen J, Brown WJ, Bolling CS, Clarsen B, Derman W, Dijkstra P, Donaldson A, Elliott-Sale KJ, Emery CA, Haakstad L, Junge A, Mkumbuzi NS, Nimphius S, Palmer D, van Poppel M, Thornton JS, Tomás R, Zondi PC, Verhagen E. Female athlete health domains: a supplement to the International Olympic Committee consensus statement on methods for recording and reporting epidemiological data on injury and illness in sport. Br J Sports Med. 2023 Sep;57(18):1164-1174. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2022-106620. Epub 2023 Jun 22. PMID: 37349084; PMCID: PMC10579182.
30. Mountjoy M, Ackerman KE, Bailey DM, Burke LM, Constantini N, Hackney AC, Heikura IA, Melin A, Pensgaard AM, Stellingwerff T, Sundgot-Borgen JK, Torstveit MK, Jacobsen AU, Verhagen E, Budgett R, Engebretsen L, Erdener U. 2023 International Olympic Committee's (IOC) consensus statement on Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs). Br J Sports Med. 2023 Sep;57(17):1073-1097. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2023-106994. PMID: 37752011.
31. Popp KL, Outerleys J, Gehman S, Garrahan M, Rudolph S, Loranger E, Ackerman KE, Tenforde AS, Bouxsein ML, Davis IS. Impact loading in female runners with single and multiple bone stress injuries during fresh and exerted conditions. J Sport Health Sci. 2023 May;12(3):406-413. doi: 10.1016/j.jshs.2022.02.004. Epub 2022 Feb 23. PMID: 35218949; PMCID: PMC10199138.
32. Sandbakk Ø, Pyne DB, McGawley K, Foster C, Talsnes RK, Solli GS, Millet GP, Seiler S, Laursen PB, Haugen T, Tønnessen E, Wilber R, van Erp T, Stellingwerff T, Holmberg HC, Bucher Sandbakk S. The Evolution of World-Class Endurance Training: The Scientist's View on Current and Future Trends. Int J Sports Physiol Perform. 2023 Jun 27;18(8):885-889. doi: 10.1123/ijspp.2023-0131. PMID: 37369366.
33. Smith ES, McKay AKA, Ackerman KE, Harris R, Elliott-Sale KJ, Stellingwerff T, Burke LM. Methodology Review: A Protocol to Audit the Representation of Female Athletes in Sports Science and Sports Medicine Research. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2022 Mar 1;32(2):114-127. doi: 10.1123/ijsnem.2021-0257. Epub 2022 Feb 15. PMID: 35168200.
34. Smith ES, McKay AKA, Kuikman M, Ackerman KE, Harris R, Elliott-Sale KJ, Stellingwerff T, Burke LM. Auditing the Representation of Female Versus Male Athletes in Sports Science and Sports Medicine Research: Evidence-Based Performance Supplements. Nutrients. 2022 Feb 23;14(5):953. doi: 10.3390/nu14050953. PMID: 35267928; PMCID: PMC8912470.
35. Smith ES, McKay AKA, Kuikman M, Ackerman KE, Harris R, Elliott-Sale KJ, Stellingwerff T, Burke LM. Auditing the Representation of Female Versus Male Athletes in Sports Science and Sports Medicine Research: Evidence-Based Performance Supplements. Nutrients. 2022 Feb 23;14(5):953. doi: 10.3390/nu14050953. PMID: 35267928; PMCID: PMC8912470.
36. Stellingwerff T, Mountjoy M, McCluskey WT, Ackerman KE, Verhagen E, Heikura IA. Review of the scientific rationale, development and validation of the International Olympic Committee Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport Clinical Assessment Tool: V.2 (IOC REDs CAT2)-by a subgroup of the IOC consensus on REDs. Br J Sports Med. 2023 Sep;57(17):1109-1118. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2023-106914. PMID: 37752002.
37. Torstveit MK, Ackerman KE, Constantini N, Holtzman B, Koehler K, Mountjoy ML, Sundgot-Borgen J, Melin A. Primary, secondary and tertiary prevention of Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs): a narrative review by a subgroup of the IOC consensus on REDs. Br J Sports Med. 2023 Sep;57(17):1119-1126. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2023-106932. PMID: 37752004.
38. W Constantini N, Alves E, L Mountjoy M, E Ackerman K. Relative energy deficiency in military (RED-M). BMJ Mil Health. 2023 Jan 26:e002341. doi: 10.1136/military-2022-002341. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 36702526.
39. Warden SJ, Hoenig T, Sventeckis AM, Ackerman KE, Tenforde AS. Not all bone overuse injuries are stress fractures: it is time for updated terminology. Br J Sports Med. 2023 Jan;57(2):76-77. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2022-106112. Epub 2022 Nov 14. PMID: 36376061; PMCID: PMC9812969.