How is the female body different?
As we learned, probably before kindergarten, the female body is different. So how does that change the way we respond to physical activity or sport?
Because girls are relatively ‘new to sport’, there is a little less research on how a female’s body responds to activity. But let’s see what we know:
- Females have less dense bones compared to males
- This is why nutrition and injury prevention is so important for female athletes
- And, while nutrition is important for all athletes, girls need more iron and calcium than boys
- While males are weigh more on average, females tend to have more fat tissue
- Women need a higher level of ‘essential fat’ to help organs, the nervous system, and muscles to function
- Females are, on average, 3-4 inches shorter than men
- Advantage: us short girls have a lower center of gravity and better balance
- Before puberty, girls & boys have the same aerobic capacity; after puberty, girls have less due to changes in body
- Good news: training can improve your aerobic capacity
- In puberty, while boys’ shoulders get broader, girls get broader hips
- Unfortunately wider hips, weaker glute muscles, dominance of the quadricep muscles, and an often shorter femur changes the mechanics of the way girls run and land when jumping, creating more risk for injury
- Good news: research shows training can help prevent some of these injuries
- Girls are more flexible than boys, and after puberty, there is even a bigger difference
- Advantage: flexibility helps girls rock at sports that require increased flexibility like dancing, gymnastics, and figure skating
- Disadvantage: ligaments are looser and can cause injury like sprains or tears
What are some common injuries I need to be aware of as a girl athlete?
Because of these differences in our own body structures, the female athlete can be more prone to certain injuries.
- Ankle sprains or plantar fasciitis
- Knee injuries, like patellofemoral pain or ACL tears
- Stress fractures or other overuse injuries
- Rotator cuff or shoulder instability
And of course, all athletes, regardless of gender, are often exposed to injuries based on the sport or activity in which they participate. Some examples:
- Concussions – most common in soccer and football, but could happen in figure skating & gymnastics too
- Eye injuries – lacrosse, tennis, basketball
- Shoulder or elbow injuries – basketball, volleyball, tennis, softball, swimming
- Hand or finger injuries – basketball, volleyball, soccer goalie
- Back injuries – baseball or softball, diving, gymnastics, figure skating, dancing, soccer
- Hip injuries – gymnastics, dancing, sports that involve jumping or sprinting like track and field
- Knee injuries – sports that involve running, jumping, kicking, cutting, or twisting, like tennis, soccer, gymnastics, or lacrosse
- Ankle or foot injuries – sports that involve jumping, landing, running, unstable surfaces (grass), or balancing, like gymnastics, dancing, figure skating, basketball, and soccer
So this sounds like bad news, potential sprains, strains, or more. But the risk of not staying active? Much greater, and leads to things that are a little more challenging to fix!
But here’s the really good news. A lot of these injuries can be limited or even prevented by appropriate sport-specific training, proper footwear and equipment, a safe area to practice, play, or perform, adequate rest and recovery time, and a well-rounded injury prevention program that can address imbalances or deficits in strength, flexibility, balance, alignment, endurance, nutrition, energy and more.