Why So Many Injuries in Women’s Sport? What the Latest Research Reveals

Women’s sport is booming. From professional football to rugby to the Olympics, participation and visibility are higher than ever. But alongside this growth, one worrying trend keeps surfacing across studies, headlines, and medical reports: women are getting injured at a higher rate than men in many major sports — and often more seriously.

Recent research highlights that this isn’t the result of a single cause. Instead, it’s a convergence of factors: biomechanics, hormones, training environments, equipment design, and even long-standing inequality in sport science. Here’s what the newest findings are telling us — and where solutions are starting to emerge.

1. The Biomechanics Behind Higher Injury Rates

Women have different hip, knee, and pelvic alignment patterns from men — and these anatomical variations play a major role in injury risk.

The ACL problem

In sports like football and basketball, women tear their ACLs more frequently than men. Researchers point to several contributing factors:

• A wider pelvis creating a greater knee “valgus angle”

• Differences in muscle activation during cutting/landing

• Landing mechanics that put more stress on the knee

• Limited strength training compared to male counterparts (especially at youth levels)

2. The Role of Hormones (and Why Timing Matters)

Newer studies show that hormone fluctuations throughout the menstrual cycle can influence ligament laxity, coordination, and fatigue.

• Oestrogen peaks are associated with increased ligament looseness

• Hormonal shifts can affect neuromuscular control

• Phases of the cycle may subtly change how athletes absorb force or stabilise joints

This does not mean women are “vulnerable” — it simply means training and monitoring need to reflect biological reality instead of ignoring it. Increasingly, elite teams are tailoring load management to menstrual-cycle data with promising results.

3. Outdated Equipment That Wasn’t Designed for Women

One of the fastest-developing areas of sports-injury research is equipment design. For decades, boots, protective gear, and even concussion-tested headgear were created for the average male body.

Recent studies found:

• Women’s football boots often don’t fit their foot shape, increasing ankle/knee strain

• Female rugby players report widespread pain from boots designed for men

• Protective equipment often sits incorrectly on smaller frames

• Even crash-test standards for head impacts were male-model-based

4. Training Loads That Don’t Match Reality

Women’s leagues are expanding rapidly, but training infrastructure hasn’t always kept pace.

Common issues include:

• Fewer medical staff

• Less strength & conditioning support

• More congested match schedules than athletes are prepared for

• Limited monitoring technology compared to men’s leagues

5. Lack of Historical Research — The “Data Gap” Problem

Until recently, most sports-medicine studies were done on men. That means:

• Prevention programmes were built around male biomechanics

• Rehabilitation timelines were based on male physiology

• Diagnostic tools weren’t calibrated for women

• Risk-factor models often excluded the menstrual cycle, hormonal contraception, or pregnancy/postpartum status

6. Cultural Factors: Playing Through Pain

Some research suggests that women may delay reporting pain or injury because:

• They don’t want to appear “fragile” in male-dominated environments

• They’re fighting for playing time in leagues with limited roster spots

• Medical resources are less accessible

• Historically, many were told their pain was “normal” or “part of being female”

Under-reporting small issues leads to big injuries.