LSU Women’s Sport and Health Initiative
Everybody is watching women’s sports! In 2023, Deloitte projected women’s sports will generate $1.28 billion in new investment during 2024 a 300% increase from 2020 projections. A new study in June 2024 values the domestic women’s sport market at over $4 billion (reported in USA Today).
At the same time, we do not know enough about the impact of these rapid changes for girls and women in sport particularly in terms of injury and rehabilitation and optimal performance. Additionally, we still need better understanding of women’s health and the impact of exercise throughout the lifespan.
The LSU Women’s Sports and Health Initiative housed in the LSU School of Kinesiology addresses all these issues with the goals of greauxing opportunities for girls and women in Louisiana and beyond, impacting success of LSU women athletes, and improving the health and wellbeing of all women.
Women's Sports at LSU
At LSU women’s sports are “having a moment” (USA Today, 2023) with national championships in basketball and gymnastics and recent top ten finishes in many other sports. With the revolution in women’s sports has come a better understanding of the significant gaps in knowledge to aid female athletes. In addition, there is a need for more and better research to positively impact girls and women around the world in both promoting athletic success and performance excellence, and in the improvement of women’s and girls’ health and fitness.
About the LSU Women’s Sport Initiative
The LSU Women’s Sports Initiative combines research in exercise science, behavioral and health analysis and work on policy and planning for better health, performance and success for women in sports and physical activity. The Initiative examines the elite women’s sports industry including NCAA sports, international professional soccer, basketball, rugby, Australian football, and volleyball competitions as well as Olympic Sports. The aim of the Initiative is to understand and support women’s sport and health needs.
WHAT WE DO
- Provide world-class cutting-edge research to women’s sport and health across the lifespan
- Educate and advocate for the needs of girls and women in sport, fitness and health
- Create opportunities for more girls and women to participate in movement-based activities (sport/ physical activity/ exercise/fitness).
- Support LSU women’s sports to produce champion athletes and teams
- Produce experts focused on women’s sport and health needs
- Support the development of girls’ and women’s sport and health around the world
- Empower the next generation of women coaches and administrators in sport
- Serve women’s needs in tactical athletic settings in the military, law enforcement and fire services
- Inform policies and practices related to sports injury and rehabilitation that incorporate behavioral and physiological research.
Research Components to the LSU Women’s Sport Initiative
The WPRL conducts research aimed at maximizing the health of women across the lifespan on Earth and in space. Research projects in the lab focus on how physiological and psychological stressors (e.g., exercise, diet, hormonal contraception) lead to perturbations in reproductive function and the impact altered reproductive function has on other critical physiologic systems (e.g., musculoskeletal, immune, cardiovascular) and athletic performance. The research conducted in the WPRL utilizes the techniques and equipment of the six research laboratory spaces in a complementary manner to explore the whole-body physiologic responses of women within different studies. Additionally, we work with other research groups within the School of Kinesiology to highlight gender differences in research studies and expand the inclusion of women in research as study participants. Led by Heather Allaway, PhD.
The WECBL produces research focused on finding meaning in the relationship between social, cultural, and behavioral factors with health beliefs and behaviors among women. The lab primarily explores the relationship of health beliefs within physical activity/exercise/fitness behaviors using theory-based methods with a translational and community-based approach. The purpose of the lab’s research agenda is to create preventative health lifestyles for women to enhance overall well-being and bridge gender health inequity gaps domestically and globally. Studies in the lab investigate the impact messaging has on women's physical activity engagement, beliefs women have about moving their bodies, addressing racial-ethnic differences in women’s physical activity beliefs/behaviors, and cross-cultural differences in fitness programming. The lab produces multilingual (English/Spanish/Italian/French) research to uncover salient health determinants that address the unique needs of women to live healthy and active lives across the lifespan while bettering exercise culture in Louisiana, and beyond. Led by Jacelyn Hadfield, PhD.
The purpose of the WSDBL is to develop opportunities for girls and women in sport by analyzing opportunities to participate, organizational structures and operations of sporting competitions for girls and women. We also focus on the expansion and best practice operations of intercollegiate and professional sport for women in Louisiana and around the world. We work internally and with external partners including the Global Observatory for Gender Equity in Sport based in Lausanne, Switzerland); the Power to Play, Period project; the Women’s Coaching Association and Claude Bernard University Lyon 1 in France’s Innovation and Vulnerability in Sport Research Lab. The WSDBL engages in the creating of optimal conditions for the support of girls and women in sport. We also partner with organizations supporting opportunities for girls in sport development programs with including Sacred Sports Foundation (St. Lucia); Football Without Borders Kenya, and SportMeet (international); which also address SDG goals of the United Nations. Led by John Nauright, PhD.
Equipped with state-of-the-art equipment to measure body composition (including Dual-energy X-ray Absorptiometry imaging, 3D body scanners, and electrical bioimpedance analysis scales). The BCL operates in close collaboration with LSU Athletics and the Pennington Biomedical Research Center. Research conducted in the BCL helps track changes in muscle mass and bone density in all LSU athletes in response to training, thus providing them with an unmatched competitive edge over their competitors. The BCL also tracks change in muscle mass and bone density in older adults at risk for chronic diseases to identify and test novel therapies to reduce frailty and improve bone mineral density in the elderly. We are currently investigating the physical and immunological resilience of LSU female athletes to various stressors (academic, training, competition etc…) across the competitive season. As part of this study funded by the Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance, they aim to identify key physical, immune and psychological factors influenced by sustained exposure to stressors in elite level collegiate female athletes of all disciplines. While this work focuses on female athletes, its findings will directly translate to a better understanding of the health and resilience of non-competitive, female tactical athletes such as firefighters, warfighters and astronauts. Led by Neil Johannson, PhD and Guillaume Spelmann, PhD.
The Musculoskeletal & Human Motion Lab conducts research to enhance our understanding of musculoskeletal disorders and to develop preventative measures for individuals with impact-related injuries during sports. Our research employs a diverse range of experimental and computational techniques, such as 3D motion analysis, computational modeling, Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs), and a freehand 3D ultrasound system (3DUS). Our research seeks to prevent the development and progression of PT by identifying individuals at a higher risk compared to others and providing evidence-based knowledge to enhance prevention strategies. Led by Hyun Kyung Kim, PhD.
Our Engagement and Impact
Public Collaborations
The LSU Women’s Sport and Health Initiative has formed a strategic relationships with organizations around the globe to collaborate on research, programs, and advocacy for women in sport.
Global observatory for Gender Equality and Sport
Funded by UNESCO based in Lausanne, Switzerland, home of the Olympic Movement.
Power to Play, Period
A global organization researching and promoting menstrual health and sport.
Women’s Coaching Association
Works primarily in Australia and the USA to develop more women coaches.
Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 (UCBL) in France
UCBL works closely with Olympique Lyonnais Féminin, the most successful women’s professional soccer club in the world.
LSU faculty members also partner with numerous organizations developing opportunities for girls and women in sport including Louisiana and National: LSU Athletics, Girls on the Run, Numerous Louisiana High Schools; Baton Rouge Soccer Club; Women’s Elite Rugby; and
International: Football Without Borders Kenya, Women*s Sport Land of Freedom (Italy), Global Observatory for Gender Equity in Sport (Switzerland), Sacred Sports Foundation (St. Lucia), READY (global), La Nuestra (Argentina), SportMeet (Italy & Global); John Paul II Foundation for Sport (UK); Sport of Francesco (Global). Our global footprint further enhances the reputation of LSU women’s sports. Over half of the current and former LSU women athletes at the 2024 Paris Olympics were from overseas representing, Canada, Jamaica, New Zealand, Norway, and The Philippines.
AI, Social Media and NIL Initiative
School of Kinesiology researchers are examining the impact of social media on brand development and management in the NIL era with particular focus on women athletes and the impact of Artificial Intelligence and Natural Language Processing through Large Language Models on how girls and women in sport, as well as their teams, can develop and manage their brands while also examining the impact of these new technologies on mental health. The women’s sports market is currently valued at over $4 billion (USA Today, June 2024). LSU women athletes are leading the way nationally in NIL revenue (Reveille, 2024) and this initiative will expand opportunities for our athletes while being a model for brand management for women in sport. The Amazon Prime series The Money Game: LSU charts the success of many women athletes at LSU and our work aims to support the continuation of LSU as the leading place for NIL opportunities for our female athletes.
Sports injuries in Girls and Women
Female athletes often face challenges regarding sports injuries due to biomechanical and anatomical differences compared to biological males. Common injuries in women include anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears, stress fractures, and patellar tendinopathy. Women generally have a wider pelvis, leading to a greater Q-angle, which increases the lateral pull on the patella (increases knee abduction/adduction moment) and contributes to conditions like patellar tendinopathy and anterior knee pain. Increased ligament laxity can reduce joint stability, heightening the risk of injuries such as ACL tears. Additionally, women typically have less muscle mass and strength in the lower limbs, affecting their ability to absorb forces during athletic activities, leading to a higher incidence of stress fractures and overuse injuries. Muscle activation patterns also differ, with women often relying more on the quadriceps and less on the hamstrings, further contributing to ACL injury risk. Understanding these distinct risk factors is crucial for developing tailored prevention and rehabilitation strategies. Our biomechanics lab research led by Hyun Kim, PhD, Xavier Thompson, PhD, and Stephanie Sontag, PhD, delivers scientific knowledge to improve training and playing schedules for girls and women in sport to maximize performance, minimize injuries and improve rehabilitation.
Athletic Training and Athlete Support
LSU is unique in having a women-driven Athletic Training program which supports the success of girls and women in sport at LSU, across Louisiana and around the world. Our program is led by Amanda Benson, PhD, Rebecca Hirschhorn, PhD, and Kristin Cunha, DAT. Our program provides students with unmatched clinical fieldwork experiences in injury prevention, emergency care, orthopedics, primary care medicine, behavioral health, and therapeutic rehabilitation of injuries and medical conditions. We work with many community partners, including LSU Athletics, promoting success in sport for girls and women. We also work closely with Baton Rouge Soccer Club which is 640 competitive and 2,000 recreational female athletes playing with them.
Women’s Health and Fitness
Ryan Hulteen, PhD, working with Heather Allaway, PhD and Jaclyn Hadfield, PhD, just completed a feasibility trial study in Spring 2024 with female LSU employees. It was a six-week dance fitness class that met twice a week for 30 minutes. While this was proof of concept, they are currently seeking further funding so that they can examine both physical and psychosocial health outcomes. This work has led our team toward funding around the recent announcement by the Federal Government for a focus on women’s health research.
References
Armour, N. (2024, June 26). New study values market for women's sports merchandise at $4 billion. https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/columnist/nancy-armour/2024/06/26/womens-sports-merchandise-market/74208763007/#
Falcetti, E. (2024, Jan 17). Making money moves: How LSU female athletes are dominating in the NIL space. Reveille. https://www.lsureveille.com/sports/making-money-moves-how-lsu-female-athletes-are-dominating-in-the-nil-space/article_4d582410-abf3-11ee-8daf-8f02ec4d5384.html
Nauright, J. & Zipp, S. (2024). Sport in the post-COVID 19 era. Sport in Society, 27(2), 185-190. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/17430437.2024.2298022
Perez, C.C. (2019). Invisible Women: Data bias in a world designed for men. New York: Abrams Press.