Best of: The future of female athletic health

The world of women’s sports is experiencing unprecedented growth, attention, recognition, and investment. Elite athletes including Simone Biles, Caitlin Clark, Serena Williams, and many others are having a significant impact on culture, and more women than ever are participating in both professional and recreational sports. Earlier this year, Russ sat down with Dr. Emily Kraus to talk about the future of female athletic health and we’re re-running the episode today. She shared a number of key differences between women and men in sport, and illuminates that these differences are vastly understudied, though she’s working to close that gap. This is an episode we shared with a number of athletes we know, and we hope you’ll do the same.

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Episode Reference Links:

• Stanford Profile: Emily Kraus  
• Emily’s Survey: Centering The Female Athlete Voice in a Sports Science Research Agenda
• Stanford FASTR Program
• Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance

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Chapters:

(00:00:00) Introduction

Russ Altman introduces Dr. Emily Kraus, professor of orthopedics at Stanford University.

(00:01:55) Injury Trends in Female Athletes

Prevalent injuries and health issues unique to female athletes.

(00:03:34) Menstrual Health in Young Athletes

How training affects puberty, periods, and long-term health.

(00:06:30) Body Image & Mental Health

Navigating body composition, stigma, and disordered eating.

(00:08:30) Competing Through Motherhood

Postpartum athletes and the need for more scientific support.

(00:11:34) Sharing vs. Guarding Performance Data

Whether female athletes are sharing information or staying competitive.

(00:12:25) Fueling, Recovery & Modern Training

Nutrition, rest, and strength training as key performance tools.

(00:15:31) Gender-Based Nutrition Differences

How under-researched female athletes are fueling without guidance.

(00:18:55) The Female Athlete Voice Project

What elite athletes want researched—and what’s missing.

(00:21:21) FASTR & the Science of RED-S

New initiatives addressing energy deficiency and performance.

(00:24:05) Applying Elite Insights to All Women

How weekend warriors can benefit from elite research.

(00:25:11) Cultural Ch