Guide to Women's Sports Health
For years, the science of sport has been built by reference to male bodies and male patterns. This has generated a knowledge gap that affects the performance, prevention and health of athletes. The reduced presence of women in spaces of scientific and technical decision has also contributed to perpetuate this androcentric model, leaving out essential aspects such as hormonal physiology, menstrual health, vital stages or biomechanical differences that influence sports practice.
In the last decade, research has made remarkable progress. Today we know that hormonal variations, energy availability, bone health, menstrual pain, pelvic floor dysfunctions or vital changes such as pregnancy and menopause influence the experience and response to training. We also know that there are no two cycles, two bodies or two equal contexts; therefore, individualization is key.
This change of perspective coincides with a changing sporting context, where the social demand for equality and the institutional need to have common, accessible and up-to-date criteria increases. The health of athletes is no longer conceived as an isolated aspect, but as an essential part of performance, injury prevention and integral well-being.
In this scenario, a specific guide —rigorous, clear and elaborated with a gender perspective— is essential to accompany women in all their vital stages and at all sporting levels. Its purpose is twofold:
- Explain in an understandable way the biological and physiological processes that influence the health of athletes.
- Provide practical tools to integrate them into training, planning, prevention and healthcare.
In addition, this guide responds to an ethical commitment: to guarantee the right of athletes to a safe and equitable practice. Incorporating updated clinical criteria (RED-S, menstruation as a vital sign, bone health, pelvic health, vital stages…) improves early detection, prevention and technical and health decision making.
It also helps to overcome structural barriers and build fairer sports environments. Although its approach is broad, this guide focuses exclusively on women athletes without disabilities. It is not an absence, but a methodological decision: properly addressing the intersection between gender and disability requires a document of its own and the direct participation of specialists, entities from the paralympic field and the athletes themselves.
The CSD considers that this complementary guide is necessary to guarantee the right to health of all women.
Why this guide is necessary:
- Scientific evidence gap.
- Female physiological specificity.
- Updated clinical standards (RED-S).
- Interdisciplinary coordination.
- Equity and the right to sports health.
Access to the Sportswomen's Health Guide