Female Sports Participation Research Articles

Exercise and the Female Heart

Female participation in sport has increased sharply during the last few decades, and for the third straight Olympic Games, there were more women than men on the US roster for the 2020 Tokyo Games. Given this, an understanding of the differences between men and women with respect to exercise-induced cardiac remodeling is critical for those caring for female athletes. Recent studies have provided insight into female-specific cardiac remodeling and have enhanced our understanding on the upper limits of cardiac remodeling in female athletes and how these adaptations compare with sedentary females, male athletes, and cardiomyopathies. Female athletes display fewer signs of adaptive remodeling on ECG compared with male athletes. Structurally, male athletes have larger absolute cardiac dimensions, but female athletes have similar or larger chamber size when adjusted for body size. Female athletes have a lower incidence of sudden cardiac arrest or death compared with male athletes in the early competitive years (high school, college, and professional) and in the masters athlete years. In addition, female athletes are less likely to have coronary disease and atrial fibrillation compared with male athletes. Data on longevity indicate that female athletes live longer than their sedentary counterparts. Unlike men, there has been no convincing association of extreme exercise and cardiovascular disease in longer-term endurance female athletes. The underlying mechanisms of these sex-based differences are not very well understood, and future studies are warranted to better understand the mechanisms of cardiac adaptation in female athletes.

Risk of sports-related sudden cardiac death in women.

Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is a tragic incident accountable for up to 50% of deaths from cardiovascular disease. Sports-related SCD (SrSCD) is a phenomenon which has previously been associated with both competitive and recreational sport activities. SrSCD has been found to occur 5-33-fold less frequently in women than in men, and the sex difference persists despite a rapid increase in female participation in sports. Establishing the reasons behind this difference could pinpoint targets for improved prevention of SrSCD. Therefore, this review summarizes existing knowledge on epidemiology, characteristics, and causes of SrSCD in females, and elaborates on proposed mechanisms behind the sex differences. Although literature concerning the aetiology of SrSCD in females is limited, proposed mechanisms include sex-specific variations in hormones, blood pressure, autonomic tone, and the presentation of acute coronary syndromes. Consequently, these biological differences impact the degree of cardiac hypertrophy, dilation, right ventricular remodelling, myocardial fibrosis, and coronary atherosclerosis, and thereby the occurrence of ventricular arrhythmias in male and female athletes associated with short- and long-term exercise. Finally, cardiac examinations such as electrocardiograms and echocardiography are useful tools allowing easy differentiation between physiological and pathological cardiac adaptations following exercise in women. However, as a significant proportion of SrSCD causes in women are non-structural or unexplained after autopsy, channelopathies may play an important role, encouraging attention to prodromal symptoms and family history. These findings will aid in the identification of females at high risk of SrSCD and development of targeted prevention for female sport participants.

Female Sports Participation, Gender Identity and the British 2010 Equality Act

ABSTRACT The inclusion of girls and women in sport at all levels depends on single sex categories for most sports from puberty onwards, because of the biological differences between the sexes. Most sport is, by definition, competitive; involving invasion games, teams, leagues, races, competitions and sometimes rankings, from foundation to excellence. Girls and women are underrepresented, particularly in traditional sport, as recognised by the UK Sports Councils and most governing bodies of sport. This paper uses feminist philosophy: Lister on androcentric citizenship, and Fraser on justice as balance, framing, recognition, representation and redistribution. It investigates the impact on the inclusion of girls and women, of eligibility policies adopting ‘self-identification of gender’ guidelines for the inclusion of transgender people in sport, at participation rather than elite levels. It explores fairness and equality as incorporated in law in the 2010 Equality Act in Britain, and contributes to ‘equality evidence’ available to the UK Sports Councils and GBS. These bodies are charged with developing fair and inclusive evidence-based eligibility criteria, in sports participation settings, for both girls and women, and transgender people.

Five-Year Changes in Community-Level Sport Participation, and the Role of Gender Strategies.

Background: The rate of participation in community-based sport by boys and men has been double that of girls and women. Contributing to this is the fact that some sports have been traditionally male-only or at least very male-dominated.Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate changes in participation in sport by sex and age across 10 major sports in Australia over a 5-year period. In conjunction with the analysis of participation trends, the gender strategies that were developed and implemented during this time are reviewed.Methods: This study encompassed all sport participants registered with one of 10 State Sporting Associations in Victoria, Australia in 2015 and in 2019. Participation rates by region, age and sex were calculated. State sport and health policies relating to female participation in sport were reviewed.Results: There were 749,037 registrations in 2015 and 868,266 in 2019. A comparison between 2015 and 2019 shows increases in participation for women and girls across all age groups (4–84 years), and highest increases for those aged 4 (6.6%) and 5–9 (4.7%). For boys there was a considerable decrease in participation for those aged 5–9 years (−3.8%).Discussion: This study provides evidence that whilst participation in sport is still dominated by males, the gap might be gradually closing and this is in line with recent strategies and investments into sport and wider cultural developments in society. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Strategies to Advance Women: Career Insights From Senior Leadership Women in Professional Sport in Canada.

Women remain minimally represented in senior leadership roles in sport, despite increased female participation in both sport, sport management education programs, and in entry levels positions in the industry. Many women prematurely exit mid-level leadership positions in sport, or are often overlooked for senior leadership positions. To uncover the experiences and strategies of women who made it through the process, we interviewed all the women (N = 7) who now hold senior leadership positions with professional sport properties in Canada. Participants revealed they overcame real and perceived barriers, and they suggested women seeking senior leadership roles in the industry: (a) find, and later become role models, mentors, and sponsors; (b) create access to networks and opportunities; (c) strategically self-promote, and; (d) purposefully build a varied career portfolio. Recommendations for the industry and all those who work in the industry are presented with a goal to break the cycle and help ensure more equitable and inclusive leaders in the senior leadership ranks.

PROSPECTS AND PROBLEMS IN GIRLS SPORTS PARTICIPATION AT UNIVERSITY LEVEL IN KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA, PAKISTAN

Purpose: Main objectives of this review paper were to examine the existing position regarding the religious perspectives in connection with female participation in sports, opportunities, and barriers affecting their entry into sporting activities. The focus of this article was to investigate the viewpoint of the female regarding the religious and socio-cultural factors influencing women’s participation in sports.
 Methodology: A self-made questionnaire consisting of twenty-four different items encircling religious and socio-cultural factors affecting women's participation in sports was used for the collection of data. Population for this study comprised of conveniently available 236 border girls students of Gomal University Dera Ismail Khan.
 Main Findings: Findings of the study has revealed that, in addition to dominant religious trend and sociocultural environment, lack of facilities, law and order situation, and transportation issues in reaching the facility, dress code, misconception of the masses in perspectives of the female participation in sports and financial problems were the main barriers in the way of female participation in sports.
 Implications: It is recommended that parents, teachers, religious leaders, experts in the field of health and sociology, and different sources of social media should play their role in clarifying the situation in paving the way for the female folk to bring positive change in the situation.

Impact of Nutrition-Based Interventions on Athletic Performance during Menstrual Cycle Phases: A Review.

Despite the steady increase in female participation in sport over the last two decades, comprehensive research on interventions attenuating the influence of female menstrual physiology on performance remains scarce. Studies involving eumenorrheic women often only test in one menstrual phase to limit sex hormone variance, which may restrict the application of these findings to the rest of the menstrual cycle. The impacts of nutrition-based interventions on athletic performance throughout the menstrual cycle have not been fully elucidated. We addressed this gap by conducting a focused critical review of clinical studies that reported athletic outcomes as well as menstrual status for healthy eumenorrheic female participants. In total, 1443 articles were identified, and 23 articles were included. These articles were published between 2011 and 2021, and were retrieved from Google Scholar, Medline, and PubMed. Our literature search revealed that hydration-, micronutrient-, and phytochemical-based interventions can improve athletic performance (measured by aerobic capacity, anaerobic power, and strength performance) or attenuate exercise-induced damage (measured by dehydration biomarkers, muscle soreness, and bone resorption biomarkers). Most performance trials, however, only assessed these interventions in one menstrual phase, limiting the application throughout the entire menstrual cycle. Improvements in athletic performance through nutrition-based interventions may be contingent upon female sex hormone variation in eumenorrheic women.

‘No-one wants to be a Kardashian anymore’: female participation in recreational combat sport

This research study utilised ethnographic methods to explore the lived experiences of women participating in recreational boxing in a gym in inner-suburban Melbourne, Australia. Women were caught between two narratives; on the one hand women were welcomed into the gym and there was a sense of growing female participation. On the other hand, the gym remained a masculine space in which women existed on the periphery and were required to prove their skills through the lens of male norms and from a position of assumed incompetence. In spite of this, female boxers increased their strength, skills and self-confidence, and perhaps due to their experience overcoming gendered expectations, some women increased their sense of power in relation to men. This study demonstrates the rewarding but precarious nature of female participation in boxing and begins to explore the way gender plays out in this space.

Socio-cultural determinants of female students’ participation in school sports in Kogi State, Nigeria

The decline in female participation in school sports is undesirable because of the fact that it is considered to be for boys only. It is in light of this, the study was carried out to examine socio-cultural determinants of female students’ participation in school sports in Kogi State, Nigeria. The population was 3,290 female students while 310 respondents were sampled for this study. Three hypotheses were postulated and tested using inferential statistics of Chi-square to analyze the data. Questionnaire was used to collect data from the respondents. The findings show that gender, cultural and religious belief served as a significant determinant of female participation in sports. Based on the finding, it was concluded that both male and female students should be encouraged to develop right attitude towards sports participation in schools so as to enhance gender equality in sports. There is need to sensitize the general public through various agents of socialization on how to change the negative cultural belief of people towards female participation in sports.

Medya ve Kültürel İnançların Türkiye’de Kadınların Spora Katılımı Üzerindeki Etkisi: Profesyonel Sporda Türk Kadınlarının Karşılaştığı Zorluklar

The fight for gender equality in Turkey extends as far as the sports sector of the economy. Although Turkey has recently seen a fast rise in the participation of women in sports, female athletes are still being marginalized for many reasons. The alarming levels of discrimination discourage females from entering into professional sports in Turkey and have inhibited the growth of the female sports sector in Turkey. This research aims to examine the different roles women have to take with emphasis on explaining the relationship between sports and politics in modern Turkey. The present study explores Turkish women's specific constraints and challenges in professional Sports. Qualitative data were generated from semi-structured interviews conducted with 142 female athletes (both amateur and professionals) across different cities in Turkey. The findings of the study indicate that family influence (χ= 4.39 of 5), wage inequality (χ = 4.31 of 5), media misrepresentation (χ = 4.16 of 5), inadequate sports facilities for women (χ = 4.12 of 5) and high levels of sexual harassment (χ = 3.89 of 5) are the constraints that must be addressed to improve the climate for female participation in sports significantly. The study highlights how these physical activities and sports programs play essential roles in increasing awareness of their importance and improving the overall perception of women in sports in Turkey.

UBC Intramurals: Identifying and Assessing Barriers Limiting Female Participation Rates

Background: At the University of British Columbia (UBC), there is a decreasing rate of female participation in Intramurals sports. Purpose: To identify key barriers influencing the decline in women’s participation in UBC Intramurals and develop recommendations for UBC Athletics and Recreation to reduce barriers and facilitate female Intramural participation. Methods: A 23-question online survey was created with Qualtrics to collect responses from female UBC students regarding their perceived barriers to participation and feedback for UBC Intramurals. Participants were recruited through survey links posted on Facebook. Qualtrics and Microsoft Excel were used to conduct descriptive and content analyses, respectively. Results: Common barriers identified by female UBC students included self-esteem and the convenience and accessibility of UBC Intramurals. Three main themes for improvement were identified for UBC Athletics and Recreation and included better access to information regarding UBC Intramurals leagues, consistent league schedules and game times, and the creation of additional leagues, such as gender-specific and just for fun leagues. Conclusion: Five recommendations were made for UBC Athletics and Recreation to implement into their current Intramurals program: improve the awareness and access to information regarding UBC Intramurals leagues, create a female hat league to allow small group sign-up, implement consistent schedules for intramurals leagues and games, increase the types of sports and tiers offered within the program, and to use a mixed-methods study on a larger sample size in future research for this topic.

Financial well-being of sportswomen

ABSTRACT Despite efforts to increase female participation and representation in sport, there has been little scholarly focus on sportswomen’s financial wel–being. The purpose of this study is to address this gap in the literature and to contribute to broadening theoretical understanding of subjective financial well-being. The study presents the results of the thematic analysis of interviews with 27 UK sportswomen to understand their experience of financial well-being, which is the ability to sustain current and anticipated desired living standards and financial freedom. Our analysis identified sportswomen’s subjective financial well-being, the personal and contextual factors influencing their perceptions of well-being and the consequences of their financial well–being on quality of life and general well–being. This study yields implications for a range of stakeholders, including governing bodies, policymakers, sports media, team and talent managers and financial institutions, and highlights the need to advance gender equity policies and practices that can positively impact on sportswomen’s financial well-being.

A study on the subjectivity of female recreational sport participants’ coaching experience: Q methodological approach

Purpose The purpose of this study is to conduct a typological classification of female recreational sport participants' coaching experience. Methods Q methodology was conducted using 25 Q-samples and 25 P-samples. Data were analyzed using PQmethod software. Results Four types were categorized: communication and character-oriented (I), function and immersion-oriented (II), process and fun-oriented (III), and function and inclusion-oriented (IV). These types were re-categorized as 'non-functional value-oriented (I, III)' and 'functional value-oriented (II, IV)'. Conclusion This study also made efforts to explore the value and norm that female participants expect from sport participation, which provided a variety of perspectives on social, psychological and philosophical discussions about woman sport. In addition, each type and its characteristics can be used as meaningful basic data in teaching method (coaching theory) for woman sport.

Female Volunteer Coaches in Community Sport: A Scoping Review and Research Agenda

Over the past two decades there has been an increase in female sport participation in countries around the world, however, this has not been matched with an increase in the number of females volunteering to coach at the community level of sport. This paper uses a scoping review methodology to synthesize and analyze the extant research published on female volunteer community sport coaches, to identify gaps in the existing literature, and to provide directions for future research. It identifies a general lack of reported research on female volunteer coaches within community levels of sport and reports that existing research has focused on five themes: female volunteer coach motives, barriers, values, supports, and retention. The paper proposes a research agenda focused on seven key themes: policy and governance, coaching pathways, recruitment, retention, performance, stress and wellbeing, and support, as well as suggestions for research methods to explore these themes.

Redox Homeostasis and Metabolic Profile in Young Female Basketball Players during in-Season Training

Background: Most studies on oxidative stress markers and antioxidant levels have been conducted in male athletes, although female participation in sport has increased rapidly in the past few decades. In particular, it could be important to assess oxidative stress markers in relation to the training load because the anaerobic path becomes predominant in high-intensity actions. Methods: Ten female professional basketball players, performing five 2 h-lasting training sessions per week, and 10 sedentary control women were investigated. Capillary blood and saliva samples were collected in the morning before the training session. The antioxidant capacity and the levels of reactive oxygen metabolites on plasma were determined measuring Reactive Oxygen Metabolite and Biological Antioxidant Potential (d-ROMs and the BAP Test). Salivary cortisol was detected by using commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. Results: The antioxidant capacity (BAP value) was significantly higher in elite basketball players (21.2%; p < 0.05). Conversely, cortisol (51%; p < 0.009) and the levels of oxidative species (d-ROM, 21.9%; p < 0.05) showed a significant decrease in elite athletes.

Cardiovascular risk among ultra-endurance runners.

Our objective was to determine the prevalence and clinical correlates of conventional cardiovascular risk factors among ultra-endurance marathon runners. An electronic internet survey to characterize modifiable cardiovascular risk factors including diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, tobacco exposure and obesity (BMI>30) among competitive ultra-endurance runners. Among 290 respondents (mean±SD, 42±11 years, 31.4% female), 106 (36.6%) had at least one established cardiovascular risk factor. Female sex, younger age and participation in competitive high school or collegiate sports were associated with freedom from cardiovascular risk factors. There were no significant associations between risk factor status and either hours per week of running training (risk factor negative: 10±7 vs. risk factor positive: 11±8 hours, P=0.42) or years of ultra-endurance competition (6±8 vs. 7±9 years, P=0.38). Runners with at least one cardiovascular risk factor were more likely to have had personal or peer concerns about excessive alcohol use. Conventional cardiovascular risk factors are common among ultra-endurance runners. Early-life participation in competitive sports, rather than adult exercise habits, is associated with freedom from the development of cardiovascular risk factors during middle age. Determining mechanistic explanations for the legacy effect of early life exercise as a means to reduce cardiovascular risk among aging athletes represents an important area of future work.

Female volunteer community sport officials: a scoping review and research agenda

ABSTRACT Research purpose The purpose of this scoping review is to explore the extant literature devoted to female officials at the community level of sport in order to identify existing knowledge and to determine a future research agenda that will address the underrepresentation of women amongst sport officials. Over the past two decades, there has been an increase in female sport participation in countries around the world, however, this has not been matched with an increase in the number of females taking up roles as officials (referees, umpires, judges, scorers, etc.) at the community level of sport. Research methods This paper uses a scoping review methodology to synthesize and analyse the extant research published on female community sport officials, to identify gaps in the existing literature, and to provide directions for future research. Results and findings It identifies a general lack of reported research on female officials within community levels of sport and that the existing research that has been published to date has focused on four themes: motives, barriers, supports and retention. Implications The paper proposes a research agenda focused on seven key themes: policy and governance, officiating pathways, recruitment, support, retention, performance, stress and well-being, as well as suggestions for research methods to explore these themes. Summarizing the current research literature on female community sport officials may help researchers, practitioners and policy makers understand the range of issues associated with the experience of female community sport officials and begin to prioritize efforts to address the lack of female sports officials.

Gender Inequality and Female Sports Participation in Turkey

Research Questions: Discrimination remains a sore point for women in Turkish sports. This has subsequently hindered women from participating or building thriving careers in sports in Turkey. Many women are discouraged from taking part in professional sports due to the perceptions existing around such activities. Therefore, the Turkish female sports sector is growing at a very sluggish pace. The present study evaluates Turkish women's roles regarding connections between sports and politics to revolutionize the country. This assessment is vital to understand the barriers to Turkish women's sports participation and what can be done to encourage more women to invest in professional sports. Research Methods: The present study provides an in-depth view of the limiting factors hindering women from developing thriving professional Turkish sports careers. The research utilizes a semi-structured questionnaire to establish data from about 162 female participants (amateur and professional sportswomen) in different cities across the country. Results and Findings: The present study highlights that unequal salaries, unavailability of sports facilities for women, media misrepresentation, and pressures from the family, are some of the factors limiting the participation of females in Turkish sports. Inferences: The study provides insights on the vitality of sports programs and physical activities, everyone, including females. The study further emphasizes the need to create enabling environments that will foster female participation in Turkey's sports.

Changes in U.S. girls’ participation in high school sports: implications for injury awareness

ABSTRACT Context The number of female athletes has grown exponentially since Title IX. However, little data exists on the proportion of women and girls who play each sport. Objective To quantify changes in female sports participation in high school sports from 1973 to 2018. Design Retrospective analysis of data from the National Federation of State High School Associations Participation Survey. Setting US high schools. Participants US high school athletes from 1973 to 2018. Main Outcome Measures Percentage of female participation for each high school sport in 5-year intervals; and changes in rates of participation by player gender and sport at designated intervals. Results From 1973 to 2018, the percentage of high school sports played by girls increased from 24.2% to 42.9% ([95%CI, 18.6,18.8], p < 0.0001). In the 14 sports included in our study, all had an increase in the percentage of female participation between 1973 and 2018. >80% of the increases occurred between 1973 and 1998 for all sports except lacrosse, ice hockey, football, and wrestling. Between 1998 and 2018, the percentage of girls playing each sport increased by less than 5% in all sports, except for ice hockey (11.5%, 95% CI 11.0, 12.0, p < 0.001) and wrestling (7.1%, 95% CI 6.9, 7.1, p < 0.001). Conclusions Girls’ participation in high school sports continues to grow not only in numbers but in the types of sports played. Between 1998 and 2018, the greatest increases were noted in ice hockey and wrestling, which had fewer than 1% female participation before 1998. Physicians providing care for female athletes should be aware of these changes and understand the potential injuries associated with these sports.

Social support and sports participation motivations of female adolescents in India - study of age transition and achievement level

Abstract Motivation is likely a pivotal factor contributing to sports participation. In India, because of the unsupportive sports/physical education environment, girls participate less in sports and other physical activities than boys. Therefore, embedding a planned healthy environment with good social support may maximize and, consequently, increase their participation in various sports and physical activities. Considering this unabated dialogue and assuming that motivation is a pivotal need for female sports participation, this study examined the differences in motivation to participate in sports among female adolescents across three age categories: early (11–14 years old), middle (15–18 years old), and late (19–21 years old) adolescence. A total of 528 female adolescents from Assam, India participated in the study. Participation in physical education courses was the criterion for the participants, and they were invited to complete the Participation Motivation Questionnaire. A factor analysis with direct oblimin rotation using the maximum likelihood extraction method yielded a 23-item, five-factor structure that exhibited moderate internal consistency. An ANOVA revealed significant differences across all three age categories regarding all the extracted factors. Moreover, t-tests of all sub-factors identified significant differences between the two achievement levels of district-level and inter-district-level athletes. This study provides sound psychometric and comparative results that are useful for education and formative reviews in applied settings and research purposes. It also serves as a measurement tool for embedding motivation to participate in physical activities and sports among female adolescents and the development of strategic ideas to assist female adolescents from less privileged areas to experience healthy growth and a healthy lifestyle.