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June 4, 2025 8 mins

More and more, otherwise healthy female athletes are getting diagnosed with something called Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS, for short). Often, the first signs of POTS are feeling faint when standing up, or noticing a rapid heartbeat. POTS is a condition that affects blood flow and can cause symptoms like dizziness, rapid heart rate, and fatigue—challenges that can significantly impact athletic performance.

In this episode, we explore the science behind POTS with the help of Emory University School of Medicine professor cardiologist Dr. Alexis Cutchins, and hear from athletes who are managing this condition, including Emory Assistant Track and Field Coach Jordan Anunike. What does the rising incidence of POTS mean for women’s sports?

This episode was reported and produced by Samantha Glass, a track athlete at Emory University who is very familiar with the signs and symptoms of POTS, as she was diagnosed with the condition last summer. A senior majoring in Human Health, she hopes to bring this knowledge to others that might be struggling. 

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About HealthierU:

Produced and hosted by students at Emory University’s Center for the Study of Human Health, HealthierU is a podcast that aims to make sense of the science behind human health. This season, we’re diving into our generation’s burning health questions. Questions like: Is it bad to use the internet to diagnose yourself? Why do so many athletes get eating disorders, and why are they so hard to spot? Is sugar really so dangerous? To find the answers, we’re talking to scientists, nutritionists, counselors, medical professionals and regular folks, every week on HealthierU.

About Emory University's Center for the Study of Human Health:

The Emory Center for the Study of Human Health was developed to expand health knowledge and translate this knowledge to all aspects of life – for the individual and populations as a whole. The Center assembles the extraordinary faculty, researchers and thought leaders from across disciplines, departments, schools and institutions to bring this knowledge to Emory University students and inspire them to become leaders for the next generation in meeting challenges facing human health.

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