Female Athletes Report Positive Experiences as Research Participants

Given the underrepresentation of women in sports and exercise science research, we sought to understand the experiences of female athletes currently involved in applied sports and exercise science research to inform future studies and potentially increase participation rates. Accordingly, we investigated the experiences of 89 female athletes (n = 48 cyclists/triathletes, n = 19 race walkers, n = 22 National Rugby League Indigenous Women's Academy players) who participated in four separate studies of sports performance with different methodological characteristics. Participants completed a questionnaire upon study completion that queried prior research participation, reasons for participating and experiences during the current study. Across all 89 athletes, 81% were first-time research participants, with the primary barriers cited as a perceived lack of opportunities or being unaware of opportunities (93%). Participants rated an interest in the research outcome as the most important aspect influencing their decision to participate (90 ± 14 [out of 100]), followed by the opportunities to receive personalized results (84 ± 20) and education (78 ± 27). Most participants (87%) stated that they would apply the study findings to their sports involvement, while the remaining 13% reported that they required support to understand the application of results. The majority (94%) of participants indicated a willingness to participate in future studies, while the research experience was rated positively at a mean 77 out of 100. Ultimately, our findings uncovered a perceived lack of opportunity as the primary barrier to female athlete research participation. As such, opportunities for women to participate in high-quality studies should be prioritized.