Monitoring Readiness in Female Footballers

Despite an abundance of research in this area in the male game, to date, research is limited in female football. Our new publication explores the current evidence and recommendations for monitoring readiness in female footballers.

Purpose: Monitoring player readiness to train and perform is an important practical concept in football. Despite an abundance of research in this area in the male game, to date, research is limited in female football. The aims of this study were, first, to summarize the current literature on the monitoring of readiness in female football; second, to summarize the current evidence regarding the monitoring of the menstrual cycle and its potential impact on physical preparation and performance in female footballers; and third, to offer practical recommendations based on the current evidence for practitioners working with female football players.

Figure 1 —Key considerations for readiness assessments. CMJ indicates countermovement jump; HRV, heart-rate variability; SMFT, Submaximal Fitness Test; ACL, anterior cruciate ligament.

Conclusions: Practitioners should include both objective (e.g., heart rate and countermovement jump) and subjective measures (e.g., athlete-reported outcome measures) in their monitoring practices. This would allow them to have a better picture of female players’ readiness. Practitioners should assess the reliability of their monitoring (objective and subjective) tools before adopting them with their players. The use of athlete-reported outcome measures could play a key role in contexts where technology is not available (eg, in semiprofessional and amateur clubs); however, practitioners need to be aware that many single-item athlete-reported outcome measures instruments have not been properly validated. Finally, tracking the menstrual cycle can identify menstrual dysfunction (e.g., infrequent or irregular menstruation) that can indicate a state of low energy availability or an underlying gynecological issue, both of which warrant further investigation by medical practitioners.

View and download this open access review here on the International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance website, or request the full text on ResearchGate, here.

Thank you to Marco Beato, Esben Elholm Madsen, Stacey Emmonds, and Peter Krustrup for this collaboration.

Beato, M., Madsen, E. E., Clubb, J., Emmonds, S., & Krustrup, P. (2024). Monitoring Readiness to Train and Perform in Female Football: Current Evidence and Recommendations for Practitioners. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 1(aop), 1-9.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1123/ijspp.2023-0405