FEMALE ATHLETE

Female Athlete Training Study Overview

This year, three key technologies will join forces in a bid to unravel the complex interaction between endurance training, the nervous system, and the endocrine system in female endurance athletes. Each technology has arisen from years of research and development, and the collaboration between them seems like the logical step in an effort to crack the heart of why females have been so disregarded when it comes to endurance training research. 

The purpose of this study is to examine the effects, if any, of training load on hormone fluctuations and menstrual cycle duration in female endurance athletes over a 12 to 20-week preparation period leading up to an endurance event.

So who are these players and what role will they play?

• Athletica.ai – An endurance training platform for athletes and coaches that prescribes endurance training leading into endurance events that include running races, bike races and triathlon events. Just plug in your race date and voila – here’s your training plan and it adapts as you train. That’s right, the training is adaptive in nature and the load (how much or little training) is adjusted in accordance with how you appear to be responding.
• Miracare.com – The Mira Fertility tracking system is a palm-sized fertility hormone monitoring system with smartphone connectivity that provides quantitative hormone measurements and ovulation/fertile window prediction at home, helping women conceive and track cycles. While more traditionally used to help users get pregnant faster, the hormones and their metabolites in the urine measured by Mira might provide an array of insight into individual female physiology and exercise training status.
• HRV4Training.com – Now well established over years of use, this simple 1 minute measurement of heart rate variability at your fingertip over your phone camera gives phenomenal insight into your central nervous system status, thereby linking directly to both your training stress and female physiology.

Interested in joining? Have a read and see if this sounds like you!

Inclusion/exclusion:

• Female at birth 
• Experienced athlete
• must have completed at least 1 prior event equivalent event in challenge to what you are preparing for. For example, if your aim is to run a 10k event, you need to have done one before. If your aim is an Ironman triathlon, same deal. In other words, you’ll be familiar with the process. 
• 12-20 weeks out from your endurance race (running, cycling, triathlon)
• Minimum of 18 years of age and premenopausal.
• Un-injured, healthy and training regularly without pain for at least 3 months.
• Not using any type of hormonal contraception for at least 3 months before taking part.
• No contraindications to exercise (i.e., cardiovascular diseases).
• Possess a wearable monitoring device (GPS, HR, power) that will sync with Athletica.ai through either Garmin Connect or Strava. Athletica.ai is a web-based platform that can be run on a computer and most phones.
• Own an iPhone or Android phone that can download and use Miracare or HRV4Training app

Got all that?

Here’s what we’ll be asking of you to commit to in the study:

• Sign-up for a race that inspires you in the future (run, bike or triathlon race) – your choice, but needs to be at least 12-20 weeks away in the future.
• Sign-up for a free trial on Athletica.ai, choose an appropriate plan for your level, and be ready to commit to the adaptive training plan right up to the race.
• Take a daily morning HRV sample (HRV4Training)
• Take a daily morning urine sample and test it for hormone concentrations with Mira
• Record your comments, rating of perceived exertion and session feel for each training session that you complete on Athletica.ai
• Record any food supplements that you take in the “Nutrition” workout tab on a daily basis.

What you’ll gain out of partaking in the study:

• Free Athletica.ai training plan subscription for the duration of the study
• Mira Max Starter Kit, Mira Fertility Ovum and Mira Fertility Max wands for the duration of the study
• Free HRV4Training app and Pro access
• Individual and group study results shared with participants prior to release
• Learning and insight into how training quality fluctuates in synchronization with your menstrual cycle

The offer above is available for only the first 10 participants that qualify. We expect this opportunity to sell out fast so if you’re interested,  please act fast.

If you miss out on the first 10 free spots but still interested in participating, we’re extending a discounted study participation offer:

• First month free Athletica.ai training plan subscription
• 20% discount for Mira Max Starter Kit, Mira Fertility Ovum and Mira Fertility Max wands for the duration of the study

Interested in participating? Follow this link to the sign-up form, or contact [email protected] for more information.