Elite athletes have shared their worries about their sports career after pregnancy.
Eleven female athletes took part in the qualitative study, published recently in the journal Sports Medicine, and described their experiences in the UK as they navigated pregnancy to researchers at King's College London.
They also raised issues about the lack of guidance for nutrition and training that complimented their athletic ambition.
First author Cat Caro from King's College London said: "Sport is a powerful platform for empowering female athletes. As an increasing number of women are balancing elite competition with pregnancy, we must continue to challenge outdated norms, bridge policy gaps, and champion a culture where motherhood and athletic excellence can coexist."
Participants of the study said pregnancy or family planning was often reliant on timing around key competitions such as the Olympics. One female athlete said she was focused on trying to make the Olympics and when the competition was delayed, her pregnancy plans were also delayed.
They were worried their career was over when they got pregnant and were reluctant to disclose their pregnancy to coaches, support staff and teammates in fear they would be cut from the team and risk their financial position.
Athletes also raised concerns about their ability to conceive due to menstrual cycle irregularities and hormonal imbalances. They reported uncertainty about the impact of training on the health of their pregnancy and child development, which typically lead to a reduction in their training intensity, volume and duration. They said they felt they were not taken seriously when discussing a return to sport and there was varied structural support during pregnancy.
Another issue was around specific advice for nutrition to support their training needs. Athletes found little support was provided around nutritional advice and they struggled to find anti-doping approved folic acid supplements, which are key during pregnancy.
Athletes also found support networks among the sporting community to help reduce fear, doubt and guilt, but stronger networks were needed.
This research was conducted prior to the update of the 2023 UK Sport Pregnancy Guidelines and preliminary findings informed aspects of the update, particularly around the lack of nutrition advice and anti-doping approved folic acid supplement. This research suggests that gaps exist, however further research would need to be conducted to determine if changes from those specific guidelines have yet to be felt.
Senior author Dr Fiona Lavelle from King's College London said: "Women's Health is a historically neglected research area, coupled with the Sex Data Gap in Sport and Exercise research, female athletes of all levels are a particularly vulnerable group especially in relation to sex-specific health matters. Theoretically, elite athletes have the highest level of support. If these athletes are not sufficiently supported to continue engaging in sport during and/or post pregnancy, how can we expect other athletes or even recreationally active individuals to be able to continue. The support and narrative needs to be changed to encourage continuation."
