Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Thesis Format

Integrated Article

Degree

Master of Science

Program

Epidemiology and Biostatistics

Supervisor

Thornton, Jane S.

2nd Supervisor

Campbell, M Karen

Abstract

Elite athlete-mothers are a relatively under-researched athlete population due to longstanding sports culture attitudes that pregnancy indicated the end of an athlete’s career. The aim of this thesis was to explore the experiences of pregnancy and return to sport and performance postpartum. The first study was a literature review on pregnancy and the postpartum period in elite endurance athletes. The second study was a cross-sectional study exploring the experiences of pregnancy and return to sport and performance after childbirth in Canadian elite athletes. The review revealed that current knowledge on this athlete population is primarily at an exploratory level, hence the vagueness of resources available to pregnant and postpartum athletes. The survey revealed that despite facing various challenges, several athletes in our sample were able to return to competitive sport postpartum and even see improved performance. Together, these findings highlight the need for further research to better support athlete-mothers.

Summary for Lay Audience

Elite sport is seeing an increasing number of athletes who are extending their careers into motherhood. Research on this athlete population and supports in place are limited due to the longstanding idea in sports culture that starting a family means retirement from sport. It can therefore be very challenging for athletes who want to continue participating in elite sport after childbirth, as they must often navigate this journey with little guidance. By looking at what makes it easier or harder to return to sport after pregnancy, we may be able to help find what future research is needed to work towards making the return to competitive sport easier after childbirth.

I conducted a search of current literature on pregnancy and the postpartum period in elite endurance athletes, covering topics in biological, psychological and social sciences. The review reaffirmed the limited information on this topic, as only a small number of athlete-mothers have been studied. This is particularly evident when making decisions on training during pregnancy and the postpartum period. The lack of information is also reflected in sport organizations missing or having inadequate policies for athlete-mothers, such as access to childcare. Despite these challenges, several elite athletes have shown that they can safely train through pregnancy and successfully return to sport as mothers.

I also conducted an online survey exploring the experiences of pregnancy and returning to sport after childbirth in Canadian elite athlete-mothers. The results revealed that most athletes were able to return to competitive sport postpartum, with many experiencing improved athletic performance. Participants were generally dissatisfied with training advice they received, particularly during pregnancy. Commonly identified challenges postpartum included training while breastfeeding and finding childcare options during training and competition. Familial and spousal support was considered critical to most athletes’ success.

With the results from both studies, we hope to emphasize the importance of improving our knowledge on pregnancy and the postpartum period in elite athletes. Further research would help identify how to better support athlete-mothers, and hopefully allow more athletes to continue their sporting careers into motherhood.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

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