Female Athletes
Females who participate in sport achieve the same physiological, psychological and social benefits that men do. However, there are a few factors that female athletes need to be aware of to ensure that they are participating efficiently and safely, including eating disorders, iron deficiency, bone density, and pregnancy.
Eating disorders
Female athletes who follow unsupervised diets and excessive training programmes are at great risk of developing disordered eating patterns that may lead to eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa. Eating disorders can impair one’s performance in soccer. Restrictive eating reduces the energy available for muscular contractions, making it difficult for the athlete focus and to participate for a long period of time. It can also arise problems such as dehydration, which can impact on thermoregulation and the body’s capacity to work at the level of intensity required for optimal performance. When participating in soccer, is it important that the athlete receives regular breaks, takes regular sips of water and doesn’t over work their body.
Iron deficiency
Iron deficiency is a common problem for female athletes, they lose even more iron than normal during menstruation and therefore they need to ensure that they are consuming adequate iron at all times. Iron is necessary for the production of haemoglobin, which transports oxygen in the blood that is used for muscular and energy producing actions. Thus, a deficiency of iron will lead to anemia, resulting in fatigue, reduce clearance of lactate and reduced energy production, making it difficult for the athlete to participate efficiently in a full game of soccer.
Bone density
Female athletes who suffer low bone density have a higher risk of stress fractures and other bone-related injuries. Thus it is discouraged for them to participate in a game of soccer because they can easily injure their bones, as there is a high level of contact within the sport. Although, females are recommended to consume a diet that is high in calcium combined with participation in weight bearing exercises to reduce this condition and further problems that will arise.
Pregnancy
Female athletes who are pregnant are still encouraged to participate in sport, however they must there are many factors that they must consider before continuing to participate in sport, such as:
- Health/risk status of the pregnancy
- Stage of pregnancy
- Type of sport played
- Degree of exertion required during participation
- Risk of overheating during participation
- Risk of injury during participation
Soccer is definitely not a suitable sport for a pregnant woman to participate in due to it’s high risk of injuries, high intensity and contact within the game.
Eating disorders
Female athletes who follow unsupervised diets and excessive training programmes are at great risk of developing disordered eating patterns that may lead to eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa. Eating disorders can impair one’s performance in soccer. Restrictive eating reduces the energy available for muscular contractions, making it difficult for the athlete focus and to participate for a long period of time. It can also arise problems such as dehydration, which can impact on thermoregulation and the body’s capacity to work at the level of intensity required for optimal performance. When participating in soccer, is it important that the athlete receives regular breaks, takes regular sips of water and doesn’t over work their body.
Iron deficiency
Iron deficiency is a common problem for female athletes, they lose even more iron than normal during menstruation and therefore they need to ensure that they are consuming adequate iron at all times. Iron is necessary for the production of haemoglobin, which transports oxygen in the blood that is used for muscular and energy producing actions. Thus, a deficiency of iron will lead to anemia, resulting in fatigue, reduce clearance of lactate and reduced energy production, making it difficult for the athlete to participate efficiently in a full game of soccer.
Bone density
Female athletes who suffer low bone density have a higher risk of stress fractures and other bone-related injuries. Thus it is discouraged for them to participate in a game of soccer because they can easily injure their bones, as there is a high level of contact within the sport. Although, females are recommended to consume a diet that is high in calcium combined with participation in weight bearing exercises to reduce this condition and further problems that will arise.
Pregnancy
Female athletes who are pregnant are still encouraged to participate in sport, however they must there are many factors that they must consider before continuing to participate in sport, such as:
- Health/risk status of the pregnancy
- Stage of pregnancy
- Type of sport played
- Degree of exertion required during participation
- Risk of overheating during participation
- Risk of injury during participation
Soccer is definitely not a suitable sport for a pregnant woman to participate in due to it’s high risk of injuries, high intensity and contact within the game.