Women's Football Hub

“No-one told me this!”: Hormones, Health and Hidden Risks in Women’s Football

Edited by Carolyn Kent – Women’s Football Hub

In this week’s Women’s Football Hub podcast, host Sarah Thorne sits down with internationally recognised physiotherapist and educator Michelle Lyons for an honest, eye-opening conversation that every coach, physio, and player needs to hear.

From pelvic floor function to perimenopause, Michelle unpacks the complex and often misunderstood relationship between hormonal health and injury risk in women’s football. This is more than just physiology — it’s about performance, participation, and staying in the game.

⚽ From Sidelines to Centre Stage: Michelle’s Mission

With over 30 years of experience, Michelle Lyons’ career spans elite sport, academic research, and global health education. Her passion lies at the intersection of women’s pelvic health, midlife transitions, and athletic performance.

Michelle currently contributes to the FIFA Female Athlete Health Project, pushing for greater understanding of how female physiology affects performance and injury. Her goal? To keep women in sport for life, not just a season.

“There’s a huge push to get girls into sport. My passion is keeping them there.”

🔍 What the Research Misses — and Why It Matters

Michelle pulls back the curtain on a persistent issue: the vast gender gap in sports science.

  • Only 5-6% of sports research focuses on female participants.
  • Female physiology is still widely misunderstood, often reduced to “small male bodies”.
  • Coaches and support staff are rarely trained in how hormonal cycles affect athletic outcomes.

“Women are not small men. We have different needs. Ignoring that puts athletes at risk.”

Michelle highlights how hormonal fluctuations — across menstrual, postnatal, and perimenopausal phases — can alter ligament laxity, tendon health, fatigue, and injury susceptibility, particularly around ACLs, hamstring strains, and pelvic dysfunction.

🧠 Key Insights & Quotes

📌 Hormones, Injury & Recovery

  • Estrogen supports tendon health and muscle strength — its absence (e.g. postnatal, perimenopause) increases injury risk.
  • Hormonal cycles can subtly influence injury patterns, but context matters more than the calendar.

“You don’t have to fear your hormones — you just need to understand them.”

📌 Pelvic Health: Not Just Postnatal

  • Leaking urine, chronic groin pain, or constipation are not just “older women problems”. They’re red flags at any age.
  • Pelvic floor function links directly to core stability, hip mechanics, and injury resilience.

“We’re seeing 10-year-old gymnasts with pelvic floor dysfunction. It’s time to start the conversation early.”

📌 Perimenopause in Football

  • Most women start to lose muscle mass from age 31 — a full two decades earlier than men.
  • Perimenopause brings hormonal chaos long before periods stop. Fatigue, pain, mood changes, and recovery struggles are common — but rarely discussed.

“Strength training is not optional. It’s your insurance policy for long-term performance and health.”

💡 Actionable Takeaways

🚀 Coaches:

  • Learn the basics of menstrual and perimenopausal health — it will make you a better coach.
  • Use tracking tools and screening questionnaires (like the Pelvic Floor Questionnaire) to identify issues early.

💪 Players (Especially 30+):

  • Start strength training now. Even bodyweight exercises can dramatically reduce injury risk and improve recovery.
  • Track your cycle and symptoms — knowledge is power.

🧠 Medical Teams:

  • Include pelvic floor and hormonal health in MSK assessments. Chronic pain or persistent soft tissue injuries may stem from hormonal shifts.
  • Educate players and staff on what’s normal — and what’s not.

👣 What’s Next?

The conversation doesn’t stop here. As Michelle puts it, “Education is the sledgehammer we take to stigma.” And it starts by creating safe spaces for honest dialogue in clubhouses, physio rooms, and coaching sessions.

Whether you’re coaching U9s or managing senior rec players, this episode offers a practical, research-informed roadmap for supporting women through all stages of their football journey.

🎧 Listen to the full episode now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your pods.
🔗 Follow Michelle Lyons on Instagram: @MichelleLyons_Muliebrity
📢 Join the conversation in the comments — how are you supporting women’s health in your football community?

This blog post was created with assistance from OpenAI’s ChatGPT (OpenAI, 2025).

Leave a comment