Podcast 214: The Physical and Mental Toll of Injuries with Dr. Kate Ackerman

Sports medicine physician and endocrinologist Dr. Kate Ackerman has focused much of her career on understanding female athlete health. She joins the WHOOP Podcast to share more on how female athletes can set themselves up for success.

Dr. Kate Ackerman, sports medicine physician, sits down with WHOOP VP of Performance and Principal Scientist Kristen Holmes to discuss female athlete health, a topic Dr. Ackerman can easily speak to as a former collegiate athlete. Kristen and Dr. Ackerman talk at length about the toll that injuries can take on female athletes, mentally and physically, and how discussing mental health is an equally important part of optimizing athletic performance. Want to see your questions answered? Email us – Podcast@whoop.com – or you can call our listener line (508-443-4952) and leave a voicemail, and your question might be answered on a future episode.

EPISODE CHAPTERS:

• 3:50 - Kate’s time as a student-athlete at Cornell
• 11:00 - The Female Athlete resilience study at Boston College
• 13:47 - Questions to ask to learn more about someone’s health
• 16:37 - People are more open about their mental health
• 18:50 - The factors behind injuries and setbacks
• 24:00 - Youth athletes just need to be physically active and part of a team
• 27:23 - Behaviors that can lead to energy deficiency
• 32:30 - The Wu Tsai Female Athlete Program
• 42:00 - Recovering from an injury and the path back to peak performance
• 45:40 - The process of seeking help
• 47:35 - Mantras that drive Kate and her thinking
• 50:50 - Lifestyle tips and things outside of training that set athletes up for success

Resources:

Female Athlete Program The Female Athlete Conference Dr. Ackerman on Twitter