Female Athlete Performance and Health research programme

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between salivary hormone profiles and symptoms across the menstrual cycle as monitored by a menstrual cycle tracking app (WILD AI) in healthy eumenorrheic (naturally regularly menstruating) females. The hormones included in the salivary measures will be estrogen, progesterone and cortisol. The second part of this study is to confirm salivary measures of estrogen and progesterone against blood serum.

Estrogen and progesterone, the primary female sex hormones, are typically associated with reproduction and are linked to brain health. Cortisol is the primary stress hormone, and levels of cortisol can influence female sex hormones.

Knowledge gained from this study about how salivary hormone profiles change in relation to symptoms throughout the menstrual cycle will be used to inform a related study that will investigate symptoms in females recovering from sports-related concussion.

(AUTEC 21/167 valid to 9 July 2024)

Data collection complete - results will be available soon

The purpose of this study is to increase our understanding of how the female sex hormones influence the symptomology and time to recover from concussion/mTBI (from all environments) in general population females. This study also considers whether energy availability may be a modifier in the symptomology and time to recover from concussion/mTBI in females.

This knowledge will help direct future research and inform clinical decision making for doctors and other members of the multidisciplinary team during treatment and rehabilitation of females with concussion/mTBI.

Participants

This study is now recruiting females of reproductive age presenting to Emergency Departments in Wellington with a suspected concussion. The study aims to understand the how hormone profiles at point of injury may impact on time to recovery. A secondary aim of the study is to investigate the expression of salivary miRNAs in females with concussion and whether this is influenced by hormone profile.

Principal investigator: Natalie Hardaker

(HDEC EXP 11655)

The purpose of this study is to understand how sex hormones may influence the occurrence of and recovery from sports related concussion (SRC) in female athletes. This study will also consider whether the female sex hormones influence biomarkers specifically related to concussion.

This knowledge will help direct future research and inform the development of female specific prevention and recovery protocols for female athletes with SRC.

Participants

The study is prospectively investigating a cohort of eumenorrheic athletes from sports with a high risk of SRC including; Football (soccer), League, Rugby and Netball in New Zealand. The athletes will be recruited into 3 groups:

1. SRC group - athletes that sustain an SRC during the season;
2. Control group - age matched athletes that do not sustain an SRC or any other musculoskeletal injury;
3. SubConc group - athletes (four per match) recruited at random by the research team to undergo repeat baseline concussion testing

Principal investigator: Natalie Hardaker

(HDEC EXP 11904)

This study will examine the current level of knowledge around recognising concussion and the attitudes towards concussion (what players and coaches would do if they suspected a concussion). The study will target as many amateur football players and coaches from around the world as possible and will also examine if there is a difference in these two domains (knowledge and attitudes) between females and males.

Findings from this study will highlight areas to target education to address knowledge deficiencies and unsafe attitudes towards concussion. A greater understanding of how players and coaches perceive concussion will help direct how we can support players to stay in the game and protect long term health. The results of this study can also be used as a baseline against which the effectiveness of any interventions used to improve knowledge and attitudes around concussion can be measured.

The Rosenbaum Concussion Knowledge and Attitudes Survey (RoCKAS) will be made available online and takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. The study will be promoted through social media channels (facebook and twitter), email databases and via posters advertising the study in football club rooms (in NZ only).

Look out for the study on social media and share across your networks.

Principal investigator: Natalie Hardaker

(AUTEC Reference number 22/192 valid until 23 August 2025)

The menstrual cycle is theorised as a factor which could influence injury risk, severity and type in athletes due to cyclical fluctuations in reproductive hormones. Hormones coordinate all our bodily functions, including our metabolism, reproduction, growth, mood, and sexual health. As a female goes through her menstrual cycle, the levels of hormones in the body change. These changes in the reproductive hormones affect muscles, tendons and ligaments, but can also impact our coordination, reaction times and body control. The purpose of this study is to investigate if there is a relationship between phase of menstrual cycle and injury incidence in elite female rugby players.

There is little literature on women’s rugby injuries, particularly intrinsic risk factors. With the growing popularity, professionalism, and performance expectations in the women’s game, it is important to begin to combat the many knowledge gaps.

Contact: Natasha Doyle

AUTEC Approval Number: under review