November: the Slack Briday Fale

Plus progress, PCOS and the shreds of positivity

1. Working Well

What’s the point?

Not gonna lie. It’s always a challenge to ensure this here first section doesn’t turn into a laundry list of stuff we’ve done. It’s a space thing. By the time we’ve listed out all our talks, consultations, projects and keynotes all there’s seldom room to explain the whats, wheres, hows and whyses.

But this month there’s sufficient power in the rundown itself. To explain …

Baz and Emma attended a big old gala to celebrate 40 Years of Women in Sport and the then versus now shot is just mind boggling. A lot has changed since 1984 — hell a lot has changed since early 2024 — and our diary tells some of that story.

This month we’ve been workshopping with the Tottenham and Chelsea grassroots systems and engaging youth rugby on better practice for girls. We’ve consulted on a major new paper about female exercise for health and life insurer Vitality (it lands tomorrow) and several mainstream press outlets — including the Telegraph and BBC — have invited us in for broadcasts and podcasts on salient topics in female sport.

Back in 1984 we weren’t too far removed from women who exercise age quicker.

And while pedantry points out that neither podcasts nor Vitality existed 40 years ago the point is that word’s spreading. Change is unfolding. Progress is busy.

2. The World at Well

Sport for girls – it’s part of The Learning Adventure

On Sunday, Emma had a great time at The Learning Adventure’s (TLA) inaugural Girl’s Sports Day. Around 100 girls were invited to train and play on the hallowed turf at StoneX, Saracen’s home ground.

There, Emma delivered a talk to Directors about designing school sport with girls in mind, and how to layer in awareness and consideration of the issues which impact girls’ enjoyment and performance in sport as they navigate puberty.

The Learning Adventure, a specialist education and sport tour organisation, is on its way to developing sports tours tailored exclusively to girls. The PE teachers and girls rugby teams invited to attend on Sunday were clearly ready to champion and take girls’ sport nearer to parity with boys’ sport in their schools and communities.

Oh and what better way to inspire the next generation of incredible sportswomen than a closely-fought grudge match between old enemies Saracens and Harlequins, with the latter coming out on top.

“Watching two incredible teams battle it out showed me how far rugby has come since my days playing at University. Sensational athletes, these women were so inspiring for all the young players in the stands, while the atmosphere sits very differently: lots of families, lots of fun – just the way sport should be,”

~ Dr Emma Ross, CSO@The Well HQ

3. Can you hack it?

It’s our first time, how does 100% off sound?

It’s been 18 months since we released four landmark CPD courses in the Female Body series …

It occurs that we never did the discount thing, so better late than never we’re putting all four courses in the Female Body series up for sale.

Like proper sale … an up to 100% off kinda sale.

Hey we’re new at this.

It’s all true but there’s a limited number so you’ll have to move fast. Click the big yellow bar to sign up for the waitlist and lock on before the big day.

4. Here Comes the Science Bit

A breakthrough for PCOS?

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) affects up to 10% of women of childbearing age and it can manifest in a host of debilitating, painful, dangerous symptoms.

From menstrual dysfunction to infertility and a risk of miscarriage, PCOS can lead to insulin-related disorders (including diabetes and metabolic syndrome), and increases the risk of endometrial cancer.

Unfortunately, PCOS treatment remains patchy and, beyond lifestyle solutions, it is commonly treated with combined hormonal contraceptives — which carry risks and many women can’t or won’t go that route — and the drug metformin, which is linked to gastrointestinal problems.

So the standard treatments for PCOS can be risky, and their effectiveness is generally slated as okay. Satisfactory. Passable.

But a team of Spanish gynae researchers has found that increasing insulin sensitivity via a combination of inositols (myo-inositol and D-chiro-inositol) may induce higher ovulation rates and boost the patient’s metabolic profile. In layman’s, these compounds appear to improve PCOS’s riskiest, most problematic symptoms.

This could be a breakthrough in PCOS hence researchers have called for further study. With solutions already available over-the-counter, we need evidence fast.

5. Medical BS

Can I get myo-inositol on the NHS (and why are waiting times so crap)?

Dr Bella says: It’s crazy but I hadn’t heard about myo-inositol until this year, yet women now ask me about it regularly. This is hugely positive but we’ll get to that.

First, we don’t talk about PCOS enough. It’s very common and still too many sufferers scrape by on patchy fixes (lifestyle, creams, diet) and a lot of discomfort.

Anything which can tackle the roots of the condition has to be welcomed but as of now the NHS doesn’t have a line on myo-inositol. Although Myo is available over-the-counter, for now we have to wait on the NHS. Speaking of which …

Waiting times are up and that’s concerning. Partially at least, this is a symptom of demand on female health systems because women feel more empowered to read the literature and proactively search solutions.

Diagnosis times and treatment breakthroughs in gynae health have always been slow. Where we’re at now is deeply frustrating but with women demanding more, the system will have to respond and evolve. That’s little consolation right now, but there’s a modicum of optimism in the mix. Hang tight.