Sports scientists: How pioneering data

Health experts from across the UK will meet in Scotland this week to discuss how technology and data research can improve women’s participation and performance in sport.

The Scottish Women in Sport 2022 conference, to be held at the University of the West of Scotland in Hamilton on Tuesday, will examine how technology and women’s sport can intersect.

Pioneering platforms include Hormonix, created by UK-based

Mint Diagnostics, which is a new

method of collecting and analysing hormone data to monitor menstrual cycles using saliva rather than blood samples. “Tracking and collecting hormone data in a non-invasive way is an important tool in the duty of care for female athletes,” said Dr Emma Ross, a consultant for Hormonix who will present at the conference.

“The first sign that a female athlete isn’t getting the balance right between training and fuelling her body is her menstrual cycle will become dysfunctional. If elite athletes train too hard, their periods can stop as their body tries to conserve energy. Compromising their menstrual cycle can have significant consequences as it blocks essential hormones like estrogen, which promotes bone strength and muscle repair.”

Access to individual hormone data will allow athletes to optimise training schedules to be in tune with their menstrual cycles and bodies. “It will