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Optimal physical performance is a product of specific and tailored training. There are well-established sex differences in anatomical, physiological, and performance factors between biological males and females, which may have implications for physical preparation. A potential knowledge gap exists in relation to sex-specific differences in physical preparation because practitioners largely rely upon empirical evidence collected in male subjects for reference when devising interventions for female athletes. Therefore, this study explored the attitudes, beliefs and practices of strength and conditioning coaches ( n = 8; M/F, 6/2) in elite level (international) women's rugby union using semi-structured interviews (mean ± standard deviation duration 59 ± 15 minutes). The interviews explored differences in coaching elite female rugby players compared to males, with specific focus on training methodologies and understanding of pertinent aspects of female physiology. Reflexive thematic analysis was utilised to generate a rich qualitative dataset. Analysis resulted in the identification of higher-order themes: developmental stage of women's rugby, physical preparation, and education. Additional subthemes were created to facilitate organisation and presentation of data. The majority of coaches consider sex-specificity when devising physical preparation interventions as a function of training experience, rather than physiological between-sex differences, yet there were conflicting, and often erroneous understanding of female-specific considerations. To the authors knowledge, this is the first study to investigate attitudes, beliefs, and practices in elite level strength and conditioning coaches regarding sex-specific differences, and as such, illustrates the current understanding and opinions of practitioners in international level women's rugby union.

BackgroundTo date, research investigating the training habits and practice of resistance training among elite distance runners as well as training factors relating to injury, has been sparse.ObjectiveTo investigate the typical training of Irish distance runners and self-reported injury incidences over a previous two year period.DesignMixed methods.SettingIrish elite distance runners completed a questionnaire using Google Forms.ParticipantsOpportunistic sampling (n=109, n=78 male and n=31 female respondents) from age 18+ who compete from 800 m up to the Marathon, from national competitive to international level of performance.InterventionsThe independent variables included demographic profile, typical weekly running training volume and practice of resistance training.Main Outcome MeasurementsA multi-stage data analysis process using SPSS, data coding and Chi square analysis. A p-value of <0.05 was used to determine statistical significance between variables and sub-groups.ResultsMore than half the respondents (53.2%) run less than 60 miles per week and 11% run more than 80 miles per week. Eighty-eight per cent of athletes include resistance training. Weight training (36.5% complete two sessions per week), plyometric training (35.4% complete one session per week), core training (47.9% complete two sessions per week) and hill training (60.4% complete one session per week) were the most common resistance training methods employed. In the previous two years, 60.5% of athletes experienced a running-related injury. The knee (24.2%) was the most common injury site and 25.8% of athletes experienced a bone stress injury.ConclusionsIrish distance runners train at lower weekly running volumes than previously reported for world-class elite athletes, but include resistance training methods that are typically employed to improve running economy and performance. No significant relationships were found between training trends, demographic profile and injury incidences. Future prospective studies should examine the periodisation of training loads and resistance training across a season.

The Female Athlete Triad is a well-established medical condition marked by low energy availability, low bone density, and menstrual disturbance, resulting in negative health outcomes that range from mild to severe. Substantial research on the Triad has been conducted in samples of high-level female athletes, but less is known about the risk of the Triad among recreationally active females. PURPOSE: To compare the prevalence of the Triad in competitive and recreationally active females. METHODS: 652 premenopausal females (26±7.3 yrs) completed an electronic survey. Individuals were included if they performed at least 75 min of vigorous aerobic activity, 150 min of moderate aerobic activity, or two days of resistance training per week. Participants self-selected as a competitive athlete (CA; n=131) of any level (i.e., amateur, professional) or recreationally active athlete (RA; n=521) and reported diagnosis of medical conditions associated with the Triad. The Low Energy Availability Questionnaire (LEAF-Q) screened for Triad risk by assessing injuries, gastrointestinal (GI) and menstrual function with a total score of ≥8 considered at risk for the Triad. Physical activity in the last 7 days was reported using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). RESULTS:The LEAF-Q assessed 44% of participants to be at risk for the Triad, with no difference between CA and RA (p=.762). When examining the LEAF-Q subscales, no group differences in GI function (p=.753) or menstrual function (p=.445) were noted, but CA had a higher injury score than RA (p=.031). Self-reported rates of disordered eating (15% vs 14%) and stress fracture (21% vs 20%) diagnosis did not differ between CA and RA. CA reported a higher diagnosis rate of low bone mineral density (4% vs 1%) and oligo/amenorrhea (11% vs <5%) compared to RA. No significant differences were found between CA and RA when comparing body mass index (BMI) (p=.143) or total weekly minutes of physical activity (p=.190). CONCLUSIONS: Physically active females are at a high risk of the Triad, regardless of their athlete status, total volume of physical activity, or BMI. Therefore, future Triad research should include recreationally active women. Development of a quick screening tool is urgently needed to identify active women at risk for the Triad.

Introduction:The World Health Organisation recommends that children and adolescents engage in at least 60 min of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per day. Previous research has shown that physical activity is related to other constructs such as mental well-being and self-rated health. This study examined the interrelatedness of these constructs in Northern Irish school children. Methods: This study was a secondary analysis of data gathered as part of a longitudinal study. Participants were n = 1791 adolescents in their final years of secondary (high) school (age range 15-18; female = 64.6%). Data were gathered on three occasions over a 2-year period on self-rated health, physical activity, mental well-being, heavy episodic drinking, lifetime smoking, psychological and somatic symptoms, as well as a range of socio-demographic measures. Results: Descriptive results showed extremely low levels of self-reported physical activity within the past week, with <6% of the sample attaining the WHO guidelines at each wave of data collection. There were significant gender differences on all variables assessed. Results further showed a small-sized relationship (statistically significant for girls only) between physical activity and mental well-being. There was also a smallsized relationship between physical activity and self-rated health. Notably, effect sizes for the relationship between self-rated health and both physical activity and mental well-being were higher. In terms of socio-demographic predictors of lower physical activity, being female, lifetime cigarette smoking, and higher somatic and psychological symptoms were all statistically significant factors. Conclusion: Self-rated health emerged as the most important predictor of physical activity among adolescents.physical activity, self-rated health, mental well-being, secondary school age Physical activity (PA) plays a critical role in the normal growth and healthy development of young people, and can be a predictor of their continued well-being through to adulthood (Tremblay et al., 2012). The World Health Organisation (WHO) has recommended that children ought to engage in a minimum of 60 min of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) per day to maintain health benefits (WHO, 2010). It is therefore of concern to note recent findings from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study, which reveal that globally, fewer than one in five adolescents achieve the daily recommended levels of MVPA (Inchley et al., 2020).