A researcher about gender bias in football: “The scheme never works for everyone”

TAZ: Miss Shakalio, Football – this is football – why should women train differently than men?

Saba Shakalio: Women are anatomical and hormonally different from men and have different physical needs. Therefore, it is important to teach the gender specific. The training plan should always be as individual as possible as possible, regardless of gender. The scheme never works for everyone. The team, of course, trains technology and tactics together, but not sports units. Thus, weaknesses can be improved in a purposeful way, because with one there is no strength, endurance in another.

TAZ: Women’s football clubs take into account these differences, or are you copying the plans for teaching men’s teams?

Shakalio: I cannot answer this in detail. But I know that physiological differences specific to the floor do not arise both in the training of physio and coaches, and in the study of sports sciences.

TAZ: Do the structures in German women’s football offer preliminary conditions for conducting individual training?

Shakalio: Clubs in the First Bundeslig do this. They have light teams and regular diagnoses. I don’t know if this is so with many clubs in the second Bundesliga. In any case, the prerequisites are not performed in all classes of lower players.

TAZ: What are the consequences?

Shakalio: If players do not train holistically, they injure themselves faster and more often. In addition, you cannot use your potential: for many years we saw a tournament from the tournament when players become faster and improve the quality of their game. This means that there is still a reserve that could be called with the best learning conditions. This shows the so -called gender gap in resources: many clubs do not have enough medical personnel, teams of coaches and power rooms.

TAZ: How are anatomical and hormonal differences between players?

Shakalio: For example, women pull muscle fibers quite slowly and, therefore, are more persistent and more stable. Men quickly twitch muscle fibers, so they increase strength faster, but also exhausted faster. Accordingly, speed training should have played a large role in players, such as building muscle mass in the legs and sprint. In addition, unlike players, football players have a menstrual cycle.

TAZ: What role does the cycle play in sports?

Shakalio: Science is currently disputed on this issue. Until now, we only know that physiological services will be less likely to change during the cycle, but women often experience it in the same way. And this is important, in the end, self -confidence and motivation play a huge role in sports. The cycle is also very individual. Some women have more, others, less fluctuations in hormones, some have strong ones, others are not pain at all. Therefore, it is difficult to determine the group effect. But there are also too few research on this topic.

TAZ: How does this happen?

Shakalio: There is a kind of double standard in the field of training sciences about men: many exclude women from research, because they do not want the cycle as a destructive factor. On the other hand, they claim that he does not play the main role so that they can also apply their results to women. Of course, this is illogical, but it contributes to the fact that women are unprotected in research. According to a general study conducted by 2014, only 39 percent of the subject: inside a total of 1,400 studies, which were published in three important sports medical journals, were women. Only the participants were considered only 4-13 percent of publications, and for men there were from 18 to 34 percent.

TAZ: Are there any injuries that football players are subject to?

Shakalio: Football players are often visible on a cross bunch. Among other things, this is due to the fact that they tend to have a wider pool and less stable connective tissue. There are also signs that the menstrual cycle affects susceptibility, but it is unclear, as for sure. One theory suggests that hormones of vibrations during the cycle make ligaments more elastic, so they are more susceptible to injuries. Another that women are at risk when playing football if they have a higher value of testosterone from the cycle than at other stages, and then injure themselves more often. These theories are not completely convincing me, the situation on this topic is simply too thin. In May, FIFA instructed a study in which a possible connection between the menstrual cycle and ruptures of the cross -shaped ligament is currently considering. Social factors are also crucial when it comes to injuries.

How do social factors affect injuries?

Shakalio: For example, players usually have less time for prevention and regeneration programs. While football players are already making a living and insured in the regional league, in the second Bundeslig there are football players who also work in full time. This means a higher level of stress, less time for relaxation and, therefore, a higher risk of injuries.

TAZ: What is the readiness of coaches and coaches to cope with gender teaching methods?

Shakalio: I feel that coaches are more open to them on average than their colleagues -men. If only because they have already experienced a lot. All this is an abstract topic for coaches. Scientific sources are still contradictory, and as a case they do not at all deal with this topic. This is too difficult for them. The study also showed that athletes can more openly consider the topic of the cycle during training if they are trained in a woman.

TAZ: Are there gender differences in the diet?

Shakalio: I am not a nutritionist, but it is known that athletes often eat too little. In addition to the pressure, to be sports, they often feel pressure, “women” to look. Depending on how we determine this, this is contrary to. Young women are often afraid to increase muscles and weigh more. This is also a problem in women’s football. If players do not cover their needs calories, menstruation and ovulation may fail, bone density can worsen, and players get injuries more often.