Sports play a huge role in many students’ time at Concord Academy. From being a part of a team to improving on different athletic skills, sports create a time and place for students to grow, compete, and make memories. Unfortunately, for many, injuries can cut that time short.
There have been numerous anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries across female athletes of all skill levels, including students at CA. However, a recent influx of these injuries in the top female soccer players around the world has prompted further research. Players like Sam Kerr, Alexia Putellas, Vivianne Miedema, and Beth Mead have all suffered season-ending ACL tears or ruptures. Recent data has shown that within soccer, females are nine times more likely to sustain ACL injuries than men.
While visibility and interest in women’s sports have surged, research on women’s health, particularly in the sports world, has consistently lagged behind that of their male counterparts. The lack of attention has led to insufficient understanding of training needs, recovery protocols, and injury patterns, and in many areas has made females more susceptible to injuries than males.
In April of 2025, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) announced it would fund a year-long study conducted by Kingston University to determine the impact of menstrual cycles on ACL injuries in soccer. Previous research from University College London has proved that menstrual cycles impact injury susceptibility, but until now, there has been no research on the effect of menstrual cycles on ACL-specific injuries.
The year-long study will begin pulling data in June, in which female soccer players will regularly have their blood and physical performance tested. The study will include all levels, from grassroots to professional clubs, including Chelsea FC and Fulham FC. Through blood draws, scientists will be able to track hormonal levels and determine if there is a correlation between hormone fluctuations throughout menstrual cycles and physical performance. Estrogen and progesterone levels will be the primary focus, as the two hormones have been linked to ligament laxity and slower neuromuscular reactions. Researchers will also analyze typical ACL injuring movements, such as rapid directional changes and landings after headers, to determine whether or not there is a correlation to hormonal levels.
In many ways, ACL injuries are inevitable as sudden, forceful movements typically cause tears and ruptures. However, the scientists at Kingston University hope to start the process of working to prevent ACL injuries that occur outside of the typical injury-inducing movements. Gaining a better understanding of why females are more susceptible to these injuries will allow coaching and conditioning staff to set protocols to prevent injury when possible.
If successful, this research will open doors for the future of women’s health and injury prevention in sports. By addressing long-ignored biological differences, this study could revolutionize how sports medicine and training methodologies support female athletes.