Rethinking ACL Injury Prevention in Elite Women's Soccer

In this episode of the Femme FC Podcast, Nicole is joined by Dan Kadlec, researcher and lecturer at Edith Cowan University, to challenge one of the most widely accepted approaches to injury prevention in sport. Dan recently co-authored the paper Warm Up is Not a Workout, which critiques the reliance on structured warm-up programs for reducing ACL injury risk. In this conversation, he explains why these programs may have a role for young or untrained athletes but fall short in preparing elite athletes for the demands of sport. This episode explores the gap between research, messaging, and real-world physical preparation, and why long-term strength and conditioning remains the foundation of athlete health and performance. Topics include: • Why warm-up programs have a ceiling effect for injury prevention • The difference between preparation and adaptation • Why something is better than nothing is not enough • The importance of progressive overload and long-term training • Strength as the foundation of resilience and durability • Why the basics are often overlooked in female athletes • The impact of early athletic development and training history • Misconceptions around training female athletes • Why chasing new trends can distract from effective methods • What a sustainable physical preparation model should look like Dan also discusses how limited access to quality training environments in the women's game contributes to injury risk and why expectations for female athletes need to shift. This episode is essential listening for practitioners in sports medicine, strength and conditioning, sport science, and coaching who want to rethink how they approach injury prevention and physical preparation.   JOIN THE COLLECTIVE: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@femmefootballcollective LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/femme-football-collective Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/femmefc Website: https://femmefc.com   Continue your learning at the Soccer Performance Support Summit this June in New Jersey! Learn from and connect with practitioners across the NWSL, MLS, and NCAA! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/soccer-performance-support-summit-tickets-1625338644639?aff=oddtdtcreator