Understanding physiological considerations specific to female runners can empower them to realise their potential. Photo: Stromlo Running Festival.
Women have long been underrepresented in trail running, with barriers such as training time, accessibility, safety and logistics often standing in the way – but it seems the terrain is levelling out.
At last year’s Stromlo Running Festival (SRF), more than half the participants were women. At the SRF Research Summit, “women and running” polled as a top theme.
A new wave of research and community-driven momentum is reshaping what’s possible for female runners and, from hormonal cycles to injury prevention, women are learning to train not in spite of their physiology but with it.
Shiree Kofod, owner of Canberra-based running coaching business Elevate Running and Fitness, has noticed the shift.
“Women are not matching our male counterparts yet, but in the past eight years I’ve been trail running, I’ve seen phenomenal growth,” she says.
“In my running groups, there are more females than males. I think people are awakening to the realisation that this is not a sport only for the strongest, fastest and fittest.
“Trail running is a beautiful community of people at all levels, many of whom are happy as back-of-the-pack runners, and with generous cut-off times for events, a long run can be punctuated with slow periods, walks, even stops, and still be rewarding.”
Some fundamentals apply to Shiree’s coaching methods for all trail runners, male and female. Anyone starting out should follow a safe, progressive training guide to maximise their chances of success, and address not just speed and endurance, but also mobility, stretching and strength work for a holistic approach.
However, numerous physiological considerations specific to women are emerging in the sport helping female runners to optimise their training and performance, and reduce the risk of injury.
The main ones pertain to hormonal fluctuations associated with menstruation and menopause.
While every woman is different in this regard, Shiree says there are a couple of rules of thumb women start with as they become attuned to how their cycles impact their training and performance.
“I work with a lot of women athletes around this. There are certain weeks in our cycles when we might need to ease up on the intensity of our training, and weeks when we can amp it up – and it’s not when a lot of women might think,” she says.
“In what’s called the luteal phase – the period in a woman’s menstrual cycle that occurs after ovulation and before menstruation – many women will find they need to ease up. During menstruation, you can increase the intensity of your training.
“Fluctuations in your hormones can impact your energy levels, and fatigue can in turn increase your chance of injury.”
Women runners going through menopause can experience a range of symptoms that can impact training.
“If you’re experiencing spikes in your body temperature, you may need to ease up on the intensity and be extra conscious of hydration and running in hot weather,” Shiree says.
“For a lot of women, menopause can also affect their sleep. You’ll need to be conscious that in times of fatigue, it may be best to ease up.”
But female-specific considerations are not limited to training. A new study from the University of South Australia has revealed the role of nutrition in enhancing performance and supporting recovery.
The study of almost 6000 adult distance runners, examining the link between diet and exercise related injury, found that lower energy and fat intakes were strongly associated with a higher risk of running-related injury in female runners.
In addition to this it’s worth noting that Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S) – a syndrome that occurs when energy intake is insufficient to meet the demands of training and activity – can lead to various health issues including stress fractures, which are more common in women than men.
None of this should be a deterrent, however – quite the contrary.
“Women’s bodies go through a lot, there’s no denying that, but we’re so powerful and strong, and having this information arms us with the tools we need to reach our enormous potential,” Shiree says.
“Now we have events like the Stromlo Running Festival out there promoting accessibility of the sport for women, there’s more opportunity than ever to discover how enriching it can be.
“My advice is never to underestimate the importance of rest, performance recovery and the avoidance of injury. Take the time to understand how these factors play into your training, and if you’re using a coach, find one that understands how your body works and how to get the most out of it.”
Stromlo Running Festival takes place from Friday 15 to Sunday 16 November – register now.
