#15 The Invisible Load of Female Athletes: Why Doing More Might Be Holding You Back — with Chloe Giles

"Sometimes it's about doing less and knowing when enough's enough."Most female athletes juggle multiple roles: student, employee, partner, which creates an invisible load that can lead to over-training and under-recovering. We sit down with Chloe Giles, Carlton VfLW's Strength & Conditioning Coach and PhD student, to break down the truth about why rest is not a weakness and how managing your full load, not just your training load, is key to unlocking your full potential. A critical listen for any athlete or coach looking to balance performance with wellbeing.Key Takeaways The Invisible Load: Female athletes often carry an "invisible load" of roles/ responsibilities outside of organized training that coaches and athletes must consider The Sub-Elite Struggle: Athletes at the sub-elite level face the toughest challenge, juggling an almost full-time commitment to sport with financial pressures from work and study, leading to the breaking point for many . Chloe Giles calls this "sub-financial," not "sub-elite".Social Media Misinformation: Social media, paints an unrealistic picture of what athletes "should" be doing.Consistency Over Perfection: The key piece of advice is that consistency with treating yourself as an athlete is better than perfection. Recovery is Not a Bonus: Recovery is where adaptation happens. It should be approached to the same standard as compulsory training. The main pillars for effective recovery, which athletes have the most control over, are sleep and nutrition not expensive 1%ers Coaches and the 'Vibe': Coaches and staff need to be aware of their own external loads and how their energy affects the team. Vulnerability and professionalism can and should be merged to create an honest, supportive environment.Timestamps:01:11 — The Invisible Load: Exhaustion and the grind are holding athletes back 03:43 — Why athletes think they're not doing enough, and how social media influencers paint an unrealistic picture06:01 — How much is too much? The highly individualized nature of load management10:30 — How load management changes for women due to roles like student, worker, and carer, and the lack of research on female athletes14:13 — The sub-elite breaking point27:20 — Key findings from Chloe's PhD on female athlete load30:58 — How Chloe uses weekly schedule mapping and small, manageable changes to support athletes37:09 — Implementing load management in a team setting49:49 — The importance of recovery01:03:57 — One piece of advice for all female athletesFuel your game the right way – 4TG listeners get 10% off Younify Active supplements designed for athletes. Grab yours here 👉 Younify ActiveIf this EP resonated with you, subscribe, leave a five-star review, and send this episode to a female athlete or their support network who needs to hear it. Stay in the loop at @4TG_Podcast. You can find Chloe Giles on Instagram at @ChloeGiles.sc. If you’ve been loving the pod and want to help us keep sharing real stories that move women’s sport forward, you can now support 4TG on Buy Me a Coffee. Every contribution goes straight back into creating more episodes, spotlighting more female athletes, and growing the movement.If you’re a business or brand that wants to be part of the change and help us level up women’s sport, let’s chat about how we can collaborate! For any partnership or sponsorship opportunities, please reach out at [email protected] Recovery Port Melbourne are helping our 4TG community recover smarter and feel their best 💪 Use code 4TG20 for 20% off casual visits. Remember, recovery is a non-negotiable for peak performance and health.Support the showABOUT THE HOSTKylie Lynch is the Founder and Host of 4TG (For The Girls), a podcast and platform on a mission to keep more girls and women in sport.A VFLW athlete, Australian representative in Polocrosse, coach, mentor and media/communications professional, Kylie has spent her career at the intersection of sport, media and community impact. Through 4TG, she shares the stories, lessons and experiences of elite athletes, coaches and industry leaders to help girls and women build confidence, navigate challenges and stay involved in sport for longer. Because sport doesn't just build athletes. It builds confidence, resilience, leadership, connection and opportunities that positively impact girls and women both on and off the field.Connect with Kylie:Instagram: @kylie__lynchLinkedIn: Kylie LynchWebsite: www.4tg.com.auEmail: [email protected] THE 4TG COMMUNITY4TG exists to help keep more girls and women in sport.Through powerful conversations with athletes, coaches, experts and industry leaders, we're building a community where girls and women feel inspired, supported and empowered to stay in the game.Instagram: @4tg_podcastTikTok: ...