It is an all too often talked about, but many times over misunderstood topic of sports and performance training that female athletes are not as strong as male athletes and that they should be trained differently. I say no. I say they are athletes and should be trained as such.
There are numerous ways to address this topic and just as many ways to screw it up. We could go about it by just saying that all athletes should weight train no matter their sex because science has shown being stronger has benefits such as improved power performance and therefore improved performance on the field. We could discuss that increased overall strength has been shown to improve tissue resilience and positively affect injury resistance. We could address it from a mental health point of view and show study after study that demonstrates the positive impact improved strength has on mental health and the ability to focus and problem solve. While we could address each of these topics individually, and we will in the coming posts, I wish to present them in total today as an introduction to the wonderful possibilities that strength training can pose for female athletes.
Now, I want to completely disclose that as a physical therapist and sports performance coach, I see both male and female athletes and the majority of them are from the sport of soccer. I, myself am an ex-collegiate soccer player and have had the honor of working with youth, collegiate and professional soccer players that span the globe. These athletes often see me first in a trying moment in their careers seeking treatment and advice for an injury. However, once we have addressed the injury and are onto the "return to sport" phase of their rehab, it has been made very clear that strength training combined with performance based activities needs to be incorporated into their game.
There are numerous reasons that I have our athletes, both female and male, make this commitment to participate in strength/weight training. With special emphasis towards our female athletes, and for the topic of this discussion, these reasons need to be highlighted.
Strength Training to Improve Power and Speed
To be able to compete at the levels and over the calendar of events that our modern day female athletes need to be at, improving gross multi-joint strength is a must. Improvement in lower body as well as core and upper body strength has been proven time and again to positively impact overall speed and ability to change direction, improve muscle
endurance and resistance to fatigue and improve overall recovery times. Improvements and overall strength gains have been directly correlated to improved fitness times and top end speed times.
Think of it simply as if you don't have the right engine in the car then how do you expect it to perform correctly on the track? If you do not have the ability to produce the power to get moving at the times you need to get moving then how are you going to fast enough to compete at the levels of competition you want to compete at?
Strength Training and Metabolism
It is often said that improving strength in female athletes can make them "bulky" and add unnecessary weight. That can be true. If you are looking to put weight on then adding strength/weight training into a female athlete's program can definitely do that. However, if programmed appropriately weight/strength training can assist in improving metabolism by improving muscle and cellular functioning and improve muscle efficiency in the use of the foods we put into our bodies and therefore improve the body's ability to burn calories.
Think of it this way. If my engine in my car is running efficiently then I am more able to use the gas I put into it and I can make the car more able to do the things I ask it to do.
Strength Training and Injury Prevention
Female athletes and female soccer players in general are exponentially more subject to catastrophic injuries such as ACL tears than male athletes. A sad truth. It is also a sad fact that there are folks out there training our athletes telling them that we can "prevent" injuries. (This is a rant that I will take on another day). It is notable to say that we are in the business, as physical therapist and sports performance coaches, to limit and reduce the occurrence of injuries and hopefully minimize the nature of the injury. However, sport and specifically soccer has injury built in. Therefore, it is our personal journey to minimize these injuries and limit the episodes of injury.
Strength imbalances of the gluteal musculature, hamstrings and quadriceps as well as inefficiencies during deceleration and eccentric loading activities are significant factors that lead to injuries of the knee. Appropriate weight training combined with plyometric (jump/land) training can improve the female athletes ability to absorb force and control joint stress which directly impacts the ability to avoid the types of injuries we see. Improved muscle strength can also make the bones, tendons and ligaments more able to adapt and accept the loads we see during training and games making them more resilient and resistant to repetitive use injuries and failure..
If the brakes and accelerator work correctly, then we are less likely to have an accident and if we have an accident then we are more likely to be able to recover from said accident.
Strength Training and Mental Health
Confidence, mental strength and fortitude, ability to focus and sustain that focus and comfortability are all factors in the female athletes' desire and intent with strength training. Numerous research articles have directly linked positive mental attitude and improved thought of wellbeing as well as improved competitiveness and feelings of positive self worth to females and strength training. It can not be overlooked that if you "feel better " about who you are and what you are capable of doing than you are more likely to accomplish your goals as an athlete.
We as physical therapist and performance coaches should agree that strength training or weight training should be a defining part of what we offer to our female athletes. It should be done with proper attention to details such as programming, timing, safety, and age appropriate exercise prescription. it should be done with the inclusion of nutritional considerations and adaptations as needed and adapted to training and game schedules. It should be done to rehabilitate from injury and avoid reoccurance of injury. It should be done for our female athletes to be more confident in their ability to compete and thrive within sport. It should be done by and with professionals that have the education and experience and success proven with the female athletic population. It should be done.
Comments