Dr. Kirsty Elliott-Sale completed her PhD in Exercise Physiology at Liverpool John Moores University on the effects of female hormones on muscle strength. Since then her research has focussed on female athletes, especially on the effects of the menstrual cycle and oral contraceptives on performance. She is also interested in Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport. She is an Associate Professor of Female Physiology and the Head of the Musculoskeletal Physiology Research Group at Nottingham Trent University.