The Forgotten Athletes: Why Midlife Women Deserve Better Science with Kelly McNulty, PhD (Episode 217)

Mar 12, 2025

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Women have been left on the sidelines when it comes to sport and exercise research. Research finds a measly 6% of studies in the field have exclusively focused on women. That’s bad. But for menopausal women, it’s worse. Of that 6%, menopausal women account for only 9% of total study participants, with only 16% of female-only studies focusing exclusively on older women. This despite the fact that 40+ women have been lining up in greater numbers in sports of all kinds. We deserve better and this week’s guest, women’s health and performance researcher, Kelly McNulty, PhD, has a lot to say about it. We talk about what she has learned studying menopausal women of all walks of life and how education and information can make our lives exponentially better.

Kelly McNulty, PhD, is a research assistant at Northumbria University currently investigating endocrinological, lifestyle, and psychosocial determinants of brain health outcomes in female veterans. She is a graduate from Northumbria University, with both a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree in Sport and Exercise Science and a Master of Science (MSc) degree in Strength & Conditioning. Her research interests are in the area of female physiology; the menstrual cycle, hormonal contraception, breast health, pelvic floor health, pregnancy, menopause, as applied to sport and exercise. Kelly is the founder and podcast host of 'The Period of the Period'; a digital education platform on a mission to change the narrative for women's health and performance in sport and exercise by promoting awareness, increasing evidence-based education & providing support.

Resources

Experience of the menopause transition in Irish women and how it impacts motivators, facilitators, and barriers to physical activity engagement here

Invisibility of female participants in midlife and beyond in sport and exercise science research: a call to action here

“Invisible Sportswomen 2.0”—Digging Deeper Into Gender Bias in Sport and Exercise Science Research: Author Gender, Editorial Board Gender, and Research Quality here

Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause

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