Keywords: Female athlete health; relative energy deficiency in sport; cognitive function; cerebrovascular endothelial function  

When athletes don’t eat enough to fuel their daily activities and training, it can harm their physical and mental health—a condition known as Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs). In female athletes, REDs can stop normal hormone production and lead to missed menstrual cycles (amenorrhea). This increases the risk of cardiovascular risk factors, reduced bone health, suppressed metabolism, and mental health concerns. While we know cardiovascular health (health of blood vessels in the body) is affected, we don’t yet fully understand how cerebrovascular health (health blood vessels in the brain) is impacted. My work uses three-dimensional multiple object tracking (3D-MOT) as a cognitive task, and ultrasound imaging to study brain blood flow in female athletes with and without amenorrhea.

Srinivasa Gopalan, S., Skaug, E., Richardson, J., & Hopper, T. (2024). Intergenerational Perspectives From Elite Female Athletes’ Experiences With the Menstrual Cycle: Weaving in Confessional Insights From a Male Researcher With Emerging Co-Researchers. Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, 54(2), 224-251. https://doi.org/10.1177/08912416241308572 (Original work published 2025)

Fun Fact: Outside of school I compete in professional 70.3 triathlon and love bikepacking in the gulf islands.