Factors influencing performance and injury risk in elite female Gaelic team sport players and future research directions: a narrative review

Abstract

Background Sports science research in elite female Gaelic team sports has increased in recent years, but still a large disparity exists between the volume of studies involving male and female players. As a consequence of this, it is difficult for practitioners to develop an evidence-based approach when working with female players. Main body In this review, we discuss the current research available in elite female Gaelic team sports with focus on seven specific areas including physical and physiological demands, anthropometric and performance characteristics, injury risk, nutritional considerations, and female physiology. There appears to be unique physical demands data in match play across positions in Camogie, however, there is currently no comparative data available in ladies Gaelic football. Similarly, there is no research available on the physiological demands of both elite female Gaelic team sports. According to existing literature, performance characteristics such as speed and power are lower in this population compared to other elite female team sports. Although data is limited, the anthropometric characteristics of elite female Gaelic team sport players appear homogenous with some positional differences observed at a sub-elite level. Previous research has demonstrated a high prevalence of lower limb injuries in female elite Gaelic team sports and the provision of quality, evidence-based strength & conditioning could help mitigate these injury risks. Female Gaelic team sport players have been shown to have poor nutrition knowledge and inadequate intakes of micronutrients. Finally, although menstrual cycle phase and oral contraceptives have been shown to influence performance in other female intermittent sports, to date there has not been any research carried out in elite female Gaelic team sport players. Conclusions It is evident that limited research has been carried out on elite female Gaelic sport players. More up-to-date, high-quality investigations are needed to address the research gaps, which in turn should enable practitioners in the field to apply sound, evidence-based practice/theory when working with this population.

The Effect of Sleep on the Health and Dietary Behaviours of GAA Athletes

“…This is in line with the literature on Olympic athletes which discovered female athletes were at higher odds of illness [ 10 ]. Despite females making up nearly 50% of sports participants, they are often neglected in the literature with a mere 4% of research devoted to female-only cohorts [ 36 ]. They are often characterised as “more difficult” to study than men due to their level of hormonal intricacy [ 37 ].…”

“…While nothing conclusive can be drawn from the present results, our findings support the idea that female GAA athletes may benefit from nutrition education programs [ 46 ]. Previous work has shown that this group have poor nutritional knowledge, not to mention a high prevalence of low energy availability, both of which may negatively impact dietary behaviour [ 36 , 47 ].…”

“…Our findings suggest that sleep-screening athletes may prove prudent in identifying and managing those most at risk of lower general health [ 8 ]. Female athletes have been largely neglected in the literature and future research should be prioritised in this population [ 36 ]. Finally, methods of assessment such as a food record (FR) or a combined dietary data collection method like the FR and 24 h dietary recall would allow for the quantification of energy intake and may offer a more comprehensive representation of dietary behaviour in GAA athletes [ 52 ].…”

The Strength Characteristics of Elite and Subelite Female Gaelic Football Players

“…Important activity patterns, such as evading opponents, winning possession of the ball, breaking tackles, blocking, and intercepting are required for successful performance within the sport. These key technical activities require players to develop appropriate physical characteristics (e.g., aerobic endurance, speed, agility, and muscular strength) that will allow for the successful execution of skills and tolerate the demands imposed by the game (17).…”

A qualitative exploration of perceived challenges and opportunities in the implementation of injury prevention and management in amateur female sport

“…Injury management strategies may include manual therapy, rehabilitation exercises, and graduated return to play (RTP). Both can improve athlete availability and enhance key performance indicators (KPIs) in female athletes ( 15 , 16 ). These duties should ideally involve cross-disciplinary collaboration of suitably qualified strength and conditioning professionals, allied healthcare professionals (AHPs) (e.g., athletic therapists), and traditional medical professionals (e.g., general practitioners) ( 15 , 17 ).…”