In this episode, host Carolyn Kent interviews Dr. Sinead Dufour, an associate professor at the Faculty of Health Science at McMaster University in Ontario and the director of pelvic health at the World of My Baby (The Womb). Dr. Dufour has over 20 years of experience as a physical therapist and a PhD in Health and Rehabilitation Science.

• [00:00:40] Changes a female athlete's body goes through during pregnancy, including impacts on cardiovascular, respiratory, and pelvic floor systems
• [00:03:16] How cardiovascular and respiratory changes affect training for a football player during pregnancy
• [00:06:07] General exercise guidelines for pregnant women, including recommendations for pelvic floor muscle training
• [00:08:39] Benefits of exercise for pregnant women, including pelvic floor health, metabolic health, and mental health
• [00:10:47] Areas where more research is needed, such as contact sports and high-intensity exercise during pregnancy
• [00:14:14] Recommendations around high-intensity exercise during pregnancy
• [00:16:14] Screening tools that can be used to assess pregnant athletes, including pelvic floor dysfunction and energy availability
• [00:20:35] Contraindications and when a pregnant athlete should stop exercising

• Website: www.thewomb.ca

• Pelvic floor muscle training
• Pregnancy-related pelvic girdle pain
• Gestational diabetes
• Diastasis rectus abdominis
• Pelvic floor dysfunction inventory
• Relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S)

In this episode, host Carolyn Kent interviews Lachlan Mackenzie, a strength and conditioning and sports science specialist who works with the female high performance football program at the University of Wollongong and the South Coast Flame club.

Lachlan discusses:

• [00:01:29] The limitations of the term "strength and conditioning" and why "athletic development" may be a better framing
• [00:03:28] The gender dynamics and culture in gym environments, and how to create more equitable spaces
• [00:06:53] The culture shift Lachlan is helping drive at South Coast Flame, prioritizing resources for the women's side of the club
• [00:13:37] The female high performance football program Lachlan is involved with at the University of Wollongong, providing athletes access to high-level training and education

In this episode, host Carolyn Kent interviews Professor Evangelos Pappas, an expert in musculoskeletal health and ACL injuries. Professor Pappas is the Director of the MedTech Research and Innovation Hub and a Professor of Musculoskeletal Health at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT).

Topics Covered:

Why women's football players are at higher risk of ACL injuries (00:01:27)

Surgical options for ACL tears, including hamstring grafts and bone-patellar tendon-bone grafts (00:07:18)

Non-surgical management approaches, including the "CrossBrace" protocol and bridge-enhanced ACL repair (00:14:03)

The long-term consequences of ACL injuries, including increased risk of early-onset osteoarthritis (00:18:34)

Importance of injury prevention programs and educating athletes about return-to-sport risks (00:20:39)

Decision-making tools to help patients choose surgical vs. non-surgical treatment (00:26:09)

Where to Find Professor Evangelos Pappas:

Twitter: @EVPappas

Key Terms & References:

ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament)

ACL injury prevention programs

"CrossBrace" protocol

Bridge-enhanced ACL repair

Post-traumatic osteoarthritis

Return-to-sport risks after ACL injury

ACL Decision-Making Tool for Adults

ACL Decision-Making Tool for Children/Adolescents

Our resident Sports Psychologist in Training Dr Ian Cookson talks us through a case of a youth athlete who was referred with low confidence, but all was not what is seemed.

ADHD and Athletes with Dr Kelly Collins

In this episode, host Carolyn Kent interviews Dr Kelly Collins, a registrar at the Australasian College of Sports and Exercise Medicine, about her recent editorial in the British Journal of Sports Medicine on the topic of ADHD and athletes.

Key Topics Discussed - [00:00:50] Dr. Collins' journey into sports medicine - [00:04:17] What is ADHD? Overview of the condition - [00:09:20] Differences in how ADHD presents in males vs. females - [00:12:48] Prevalence of ADHD in the general population and in sports - [00:14:28] The potential benefits of ADHD in certain sports - [00:16:39] Tips for coaches on supporting athletes with ADHD - [00:20:32] Myth-busting around ADHD

Key References - [British Journal of Sports Medicine editorial on ADHD and female athletes](https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/56/3/123) - Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) - Executive function - Emotional dysregulation - Comorbidities of ADHD (mental illness, substance abuse, etc.) - Neurodiversity

Our resident Sports Podiatrist and Queen Margaret University lecturer Katie Reilly talks us through a player case that involves surgery to a players toe nail.

Dr Nicole Surdyka talks to Carolyn Kent about her time as director of rehabilitation at OL Reign, gender and sex based considerations for female athletes and structures and strategies for athlete health.

In another episode of our pelvic health series Emma Bradley director of the 360 Mama Ltd talks to Carolyn Kent about the pelvic floor and C-Section scars