Key facts
- Eilish McColgan has joined the performance nutrition brand Science in Sport.
- She has been appointed to the brand's Elite Performance Advisory Panel.
- McColgan aims to address the significant research gap in women's sports science.
- She highlighted that current sports science research is largely based on male cohorts.
- McColgan will provide athlete insights to inform future performance research and education initiatives.
Distance runner Eilish McColgan has joined the performance nutrition brand Science in Sport, taking a position on its Elite Performance Advisory Panel. McColgan, the reigning 10,000m Commonwealth Games champion, stated her intention to help bridge the gap in sports science research concerning female athletes.
McColgan expressed that while the performance and visibility of women's sport are advancing, the scientific research has not kept pace. She believes upcoming research could be as transformative for female runners as the advent of "super shoes" was for distance running. She noted that approximately five percent of sports science research is dedicated exclusively to women's sport.
The nutrition brand stated that the advisory panel brings together world-class athletes to offer real-world perspectives on the challenges faced by elite performers, collaborating with Science in Sport's Science Advisory Panel to identify areas for research and innovation. McColgan emphasized that the current research landscape is overwhelmingly based on male cohorts, neglecting crucial aspects of female physiology such as the impact of the menstrual cycle on performance and recovery.
Professor James Morton, Chief Science Officer at Science in Sport, commented that McColgan's experience as a leading endurance athlete will be invaluable in understanding athletes' real-world challenges and identifying areas where science can have the greatest impact.