FIFA on Monday launched the Women’s Health and Performance Project to fill the gap in information and research on the unique needs of female athletes as women’s football continues to grow.
initiativeis a series of online modules that provides peer-reviewed research, data, and knowledge on 13 topics that impact female athletes, from pregnancy and fertility to recovery and nutrition.
According to FIFA, currently only 6% of sports science research focuses solely on women. As a result, women are often trained using methods developed for male athletes, as there is a lack of information to optimize their performance.
In addition to athletes, the FIFA Women’s Health and Performance Project also aims to educate coaches and administrators at all levels of the sport, as well as staff in teams, leagues and federations. We also aim to normalize language while breaking taboos and misconceptions about women’s health.
“FIFA’s aim is to optimize the health, well-being and performance of all women’s football players and to improve knowledge about women and girls at all levels of football,” Sarai Bearman, FIFA’s chief executive of women’s football, said in a statement on Monday. “Together, we can do more to better support the growing number of female players and ensure they are trained, supported and understood according to their unique needs as women.”
The initiative builds on a pilot project run by soccer’s governing body ahead of the 2023 Women’s World Cup to deliver specialized training programs designed for women.
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