This episode originally debuted in May 2023.

Since Title IX passed in 1972, there has been extraordinary growth in women’s sports and performance. 

However, for decades, athletic research primarily conducted on males has simply been applied to women, and as we’ve discovered, when the standard of performance is based on that one type of person, it skews our understanding of what is considered “normal physiology.”

Christine Yu, author of the new book Up to Speed - The Groundbreaking Science of Women Athletics speaks with Sara Gross about the future of research on women athletes. 

As Yu says, “Women and female athletes need specific research that reflects their personal experience to provide appropriate and specific guidance from nutrition and injury prevention, to customized training, and even clothing and gear.”

So, what reputable science and research is out there for performance-minded women? And, how can we apply good science to our lives in order to boost performance and remain healthy for years to come?  

Sara and Christine discuss this and more, including:

• Why females have often been considered “messy” and “poor subjects” when it comes to research studies on athletics 
• The impact good (and bad) research can have on female athletes, especially when it comes to longevity in sports and overall health
• How more female scientists and researchers are asking the right questions and leading the way to close the gender gap in research
• What surprised Christine the most when researching and writing the book?
• What angered her, and what has she applied any of the good research in her own daily life?

Maya Angelou once said, “When you know better, you do better.” Yu’s book provides an understanding of how we go to this point and, thanks to the vigilance of others, how we are starting to do better.

Order Up to Speed - The Groundbreaking Science of Women Athletics 

Follow Christine on Instagram: @cyu888