Less than 4% of participants in studies of carbohydrate-based fuelling strategies for soccer performance have been female: results from an audit of her representation.

Women's soccer has increased markedly in popularity and professionalisation in recent years. Achieving adequate carbohydrate (CHO) availability before and during performance is often advised as a key priority for players. The aim of this study was to audit the literature that informs the current CHO-based guidelines for soccer performance and to assess the extent of evidence supporting their application to female players. Using an established protocol for auditing the published literature, seven databases were searched for research investigating the effects of acute CHO-based fuelling strategies before or during soccer performance. A total of 43 studies met the inclusion criteria. There were a total of 542 participants, of which 3.7% were female (n = 20 individuals) and 96.3% were male (n = 522 individuals). The majority of the studies were designed to examine the effects of CHO intake during soccer (n = 31; 72.1%), with the remaining studies employing pre-exercise CHO intake (n = 5; 11.6%) or CHO loading (n = 7; 16.3%) protocols. Most studies involved male-only cohorts (n = 41; 95.3%), while female-only (n = 1; 2.3%) and mixed-sex cohorts (n = 1; 2.3%) were less prevalent. Of the two studies that included females, neither provided any information around categorisation or control of menstrual cycle status. The current guidelines on acute CHO-based fuelling strategies for soccer are not informed by an adequate evidence base when applied to female players. Given the potential for between-sex differences in physiology and metabolism, the lack of female-specific research means that it is presently unknown whether the current guidelines on CHO-based fuelling strategies for soccer are optimal for female players.