DiscoverRi Science PodcastThe science behind ACL injuries in women's football - with Blake Rivers and Grace Vella
The science behind ACL injuries in women's football - with Blake Rivers and Grace Vella

The science behind ACL injuries in women's football - with Blake Rivers and Grace Vella

Update: 2025-06-24
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The Women's Euros kick off next Wednesday, once again bringing attention to the epidemic of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries in women’s football. But why is it that women are six times more likely to suffer from these injuries, and what research is being done to understand it further?

This month we’re looking at the science behind the ACL, and what factors researchers are investigating that influence injury susceptibility. We’re joined by Blake Rivers, whose PhD at Kingston University is being funded by FIFA to investigate the impact of the menstrual cycle on ACL injuries, and Grace Vella, a footballer and entrepreneur who is 5 months into her ACL rehabilitation following on from reconstructive surgery.  

Producer: Lia Hale  

Assistant producer: Jessica Hibbert 

Music: Joseph Sandy 

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The science behind ACL injuries in women's football - with Blake Rivers and Grace Vella

The science behind ACL injuries in women's football - with Blake Rivers and Grace Vella

The Royal Institution