Bristol City Women鈥檚 Football Club has agreed a new research partnership with sportswear manufacturer Hytro.
The Women鈥檚 Super League team, who were promoted to the top flight after winning the Women鈥檚 Championship last season, will be equipped with blood flow restriction training kit as part of a study looking into the prevention of injuries in women鈥檚 football.
Blood flow restriction training involves applying a strap to the top of the arms or legs, while performing exercise at a low intensity or while recovering from a workout. The restricting strap is designed to allow oxygenated blood to flow to the muscles but restricts the amount that then returns to the heart, which Hytro has said could help muscle growth, boost endurance and speed up recovery.
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London-based Hytro鈥檚 five-week pilot study with Bristol City Women will aim to shed light on the wearables鈥 efficacy, safety, and potential impact on athletic performance.
Dr Warren Bradley, founder and head of elite performance at Hytro, said: 鈥淲ith less than 6% of Sports Science research performed using female athletes, many decisions around optimising performance, recovery, and injuries have been based on research in males, which may be largely inapplicable.
鈥淚t is one of the reasons I surmise we have seen a significant increase in women鈥檚 ACL injuries in the recent years, and we must address this research imbalance to make better, safer, and more informed decisions for female athletes.鈥
Bristol City Women鈥檚 strength and conditioning coach Jack Instrall added: 鈥淲e鈥檙e really excited to be partnering with Hytro to enhance our recovery processes ahead of the new season. This recovery project aligns with our mission to prepare the players for the demands of the Barclays Women鈥檚 Super League and maximise the intensity and quality of our training.鈥
The news comes after Hytro recently announced a research partnership with another South West sports team, Gloucester Rugby, to focus on lower limb strength sessions within the sport. Hytro works with more than 60 professional sports organisations in the 海角视频 and the US, including Bath Rugby, Aston Villa and Everton.
