This week on the Science for Sport Podcast, host Richard Graves welcomes Dr Candice Macmillan, lecturer at the University of Pretoria, sports physiotherapist, and course author of “Contraceptives and the Female Athlete” on the Science for Sport platform.

As women’s sport continues to grow professionally around the world, understanding the unique physiological considerations of female athletes has never been more important. Yet many practitioners still feel underprepared when supporting athletes through topics such as the menstrual cycle, hormonal contraceptives, and their potential implications for performance, wellbeing, and decision-making.

Drawing on her background as a sports physiotherapist, researcher, and academic, Dr Macmillan explores how practitioners can better support female athletes through education, communication, and evidence-based decision making.

The conversation covers the complexity of hormonal contraceptives, how different types influence physiology and behaviour, and why awareness of factors such as testosterone suppression and symptom tracking may be crucial for athletes and support staff alike.

Perhaps most importantly, Dr Macmillan explains why empowering athletes to ask the right questions about their own health may be one of the most powerful tools practitioners can provide.

This episode offers valuable insights for sports scientists, strength and conditioning coaches, physiotherapists, and performance staff working across elite sport — while also opening up a conversation that continues to shape the future of female athlete support systems.

In This Episode You Will Learn

• Why female athlete health remains one of the most misunderstood areas in elite sport
• The difference between hormonal and non-hormonal contraceptives
• Why the contraceptive pill is not a single solution and varies widely in composition
• How hormonal contraceptives can influence testosterone levels and athlete behaviour
• Why symptoms may impact performance more than hormone levels themselves
• The importance of tracking menstrual symptoms for informed medical decisions
• Why practitioners must help athletes learn the language to describe how they feel
• The role communication plays between athletes, coaches and medical staff
• How policy and education are shaping the future of female athlete support in sport

About Dr Candice Macmillan
Dr Candice Macmillan is a lecturer at the University of Pretoria, a qualified sports physiotherapist, and holds a PhD in Sports Physiotherapy.

Her work focuses on female athlete health, injury prevention, and performance, with a particular interest in how physiological factors influence training, recovery, and long-term athlete wellbeing. Through her academic and applied work, she aims to bridge the gap between research and real-world practice for practitioners working in sport.

Dr Macmillan is also the author of the “Contraceptives and the Female Athlete” course available on the Science for Sport platform, where she helps practitioners better understand the complexities of hormonal contraception and its potential implications for female athlete performance and health.

Her research and teaching continue to contribute to a growing body of work aimed at improving education, awareness, and practical support for female athletes across sport.

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From the Super Bowl to international games in London, Germany, and Madrid, Nick shares how data, innovation, and collaboration are driving the future of field management, and how the NFL ensures world-class conditions that protect player safety and optimise performance.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How the NFL’s field operations team prepares and maintains elite playing surfaces across 32 clubs and international venues
• The science behind player safety and surface performance — and how injury data informs turf design
• Why the debate between natural and artificial grass isn’t as simple as it seems
• How advanced testing tools like BEAST and STRIKE are revolutionising surface analysis
• The challenges of delivering perfect fields in unique stadiums like Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and the Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid
• How the NFL’s “digital athlete” concept links field data, biomechanics, and player health

About Nick Pappas
Nick Pappas, CSFM, is the Field Director for the National Football League (NFL), overseeing field operations for all major league events, including the Super Bowl, Pro Bowl, and NFL International Games.
With a background in turfgrass science and agronomy, Nick has become one of the foremost experts in professional sports field management. He leads the NFL’s global efforts in surface research, innovation, and player safety, working closely with the NFLPA, engineers, and medical experts to ensure every game is played on a surface that meets the highest standards of safety and performance.

FREE 7d SCIENCE FOR SPORT ACADEMY TRIAL

SIGN UP NOW: https://bit.ly/SFSepisode241

​ Learn Quicker & More Effectively
​ Optimise Your Athletes' Recovery
​ Position Yourself As An Expert To Your Athletes And Naturally Improve Buy-In
​ Reduce Your Athletes' Injury Ratese
​ Save 100's Of Dollars A Year That Would Otherwise Be Spent On Books, Courses And More
​ Improve Your Athletes' Performance
​ Advance Forward In Your Career, Allowing You To Earn More Money And Work With Elite-Level Athletes
​ Save Yourself The Stress & Worry Of Constantly Trying To Stay Up-To-Date With Sports Science Research

*** In this episode, you’ll learn:**

• How Marc transitioned from the U.S. Army into academia and ultimately the NFL.
• Why strong foundations in research methods, measurement, and statistics are critical for sports scientists.
• How to build sports science systems that connect data collection directly to decision-making.
• The importance of collaboration across strength & conditioning, athletic training, and coaching.
• How subjective monitoring can sometimes outweigh objective data when it comes to understanding athletes.
• Why effective communication—and translating data into a language coaches understand—is essential for buy-in.
• The role of culture, systems, and people in making technology truly effective.
• Where Marc sees the next big leap in sports science, including the impact of artificial intelligence.

About Marc Lewis
Marc Lewis, PhD, is the Director of Applied Sports Science at the Houston Texans. His career spans military service, academia, and professional sport:

• Former airborne infantry soldier in the U.S. Army.
• Earned a PhD in Exercise Physiology at Virginia Tech, where he pioneered one of the university’s first applied sports science roles.
• Held leadership positions at Virginia Tech football and Penn State University in applied health and performance science.
• Joined the Houston Texans in 2023, where he leads the sports science department, developing integrated systems to support athlete performance and recovery.
• Co-author of The Sports Science Handbook: A Blueprint for Better Decision-Making in Sport, written with Adam Virgil (Los Angeles Clippers). Marc is passionate about connecting research with practice, building systems that enhance decision-making, and pushing the boundaries of sports science in high-performance environments.

SIGN UP NOW: https://bit.ly/SFSepisode241

• ​ Learn Quicker & More Effectively
• ​ Optimise Your Athletes' Recovery
• ​ Position Yourself As An Expert To Your Athletes And Naturally Improve Buy-In
• ​ Reduce Your Athletes' Injury Ratese
• ​ Save 100's Of Dollars A Year That Would Otherwise Be Spent On Books, Courses And More
• ​ Improve Your Athletes' Performance
• ​ Advance Forward In Your Career, Allowing You To Earn More Money And Work With Elite-Level Athletes
• ​ Save Yourself The Stress & Worry Of Constantly Trying To Stay Up-To-Date With Sports Science Research