The Truth About ACL Injuries: Why Female Athletes Are at Higher Risk & How to Prevent Them
ACL Injuries & Female Athletes: What You Need to Know
If you’re a female athlete, you’ve probably heard of someone tearing their anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)—or maybe it’s happened to you. ACL injuries are one of the most common and devastating injuries in sports, but did you know that female athletes are at a 2 to 8 times higher risk of tearing their ACL than male athletes? (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons).
ACL injuries can sideline careers, require surgery, and take 6 to 12 months of rehab. But here’s the good news: understanding the risk factors and taking proactive steps can help prevent them.
Let’s dive into why ACL injuries happen more often in female athletes and what you can do to protect yourself.
🚨 Why Are Female Athletes More Likely to Tear Their ACL?
There’s no single reason why ACL tears happen more frequently in women—it’s a combination of biological, biomechanical, and hormonal factors.
1. Anatomy Differences: Wider Hips & Knee Alignment
Women naturally have a wider pelvis, which affects how their knees align. This is called a higher Q-angle, which can put extra stress on the ACL and make the knee joint less stable.
Research shows that female athletes tend to have more "valgus" knee positioning (knees collapsing inward during movement), which increases ACL strain (Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy).
💡 What You Can Do:
✅ Strengthening your hip, glute, and core muscles can improve knee alignment.
✅ Practicing proper landing techniques can help reduce knee stress.
2. Hormones & Ligament Strength
Estrogen, the primary female sex hormone, has been shown to affect ligament laxity (looseness), making the ACL more vulnerable to injury.
A study in the American Journal of Sports Medicine found that ACL injuries are more likely to occur during certain phases of the menstrual cycle, particularly when estrogen levels are high.
💡 What You Can Do:
✅ Be aware of how your cycle affects your body and adjust training intensity accordingly.
✅ Focus on neuromuscular training to improve knee stability throughout your cycle.
3. Biomechanics: Jumping & Landing Differences
Female athletes tend to rely more on their quadriceps (front thigh muscles) and less on their hamstrings, which puts more stress on the ACL.
Women also tend to land with straighter knees and less knee bend, which increases ACL strain.
A study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that female athletes land with 50% more knee valgus (inward knee movement) than male athletes, increasing injury risk.
💡 What You Can Do:
✅ Train your hamstrings! Hamstring strength balances out the quads and reduces ACL strain.
✅ Work on jumping and landing drills that emphasize knee flexion and alignment.
🔥 How to Reduce Your ACL Injury Risk: Proven Prevention Strategies
While some risk factors are out of your control (like anatomy and hormones), there are science-backed ways to reduce your risk of an ACL tear.
1. Strengthen Your Hips, Glutes, & Core
Strong hips and glutes help stabilize your knees and prevent inward knee collapse.
A study in Sports Health: A Multidisciplinary Approach found that athletes with strong glutes and core muscles had significantly lower ACL injury rates.
🏋️♀️ Try These Exercises:
✅ Glute Bridges
✅ Single-Leg Squats
✅ Side Band Walks
2. Focus on Proper Jumping & Landing Mechanics
A study in The Journal of Athletic Training found that neuromuscular training programs reduce ACL injuries by 50% in female athletes.
Programs like FIFA 11+ and PEP (Prevent Injury and Enhance Performance) have been proven to help reduce injury rates.
🏃♀️ Practice These Drills:
✅ Soft landings: Land with bent knees & avoid inward collapse.
✅ Deceleration drills: Learn to control your movement when stopping or changing direction.
3. Improve Hamstring & Quad Strength Balance
Strong hamstrings help absorb force and reduce strain on the ACL.
A study in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that athletes with stronger hamstrings had significantly lower ACL injury rates.
🏋️♀️ Add These to Your Routine:
✅ Romanian Deadlifts
✅ Nordic Hamstring Curls
✅ Stability Ball Hamstring Curls
4. Wear the Right Shoes & Use Proper Cleats
Studies show that shoes with excessive traction can increase ACL injury risk by preventing natural pivoting (American Journal of Sports Medicine).
If you play on turf, consider using cleats designed for turf fields to allow better movement.
🏆 Final Takeaway: Stay Strong, Stay Smart, Stay Injury-Free
ACL injuries aren’t just bad luck—they’re often preventable with the right training, awareness, and preparation.
✅ Strengthen your hips, glutes, and hamstrings
✅ Practice safe landing techniques
✅ Follow a neuromuscular training program like FIFA 11+ or PEP
✅ Be aware of how your menstrual cycle may affect your joints
You train hard to be the best—now train smart to stay in the game. 💪🔥
💬 Have you or a teammate experienced an ACL injury? What recovery tips helped you the most? Drop a comment below!
#GRLPower #InjuryPrevention #TrainSmart #ACLRecovery #FemaleAthlete
🔬 Research Studies & Sources
Female athletes are 2 to 8 times more likely to tear their ACL than male athletes
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
Wider Q-angle & increased knee valgus contribute to ACL risk in female athletes
Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy
Hormonal fluctuations (estrogen levels) impact ligament laxity & ACL injury risk
American Journal of Sports Medicine
https://journals.sagepub.com/home/ajs
Women land with 50% more knee valgus than men, increasing ACL stress
British Journal of Sports Medicine
https://bjsm.bmj.com/
Neuromuscular training reduces ACL injuries by 50% in female athletes
The Journal of Athletic Training
https://natajournals.org/loi/attr
Strong glutes, core, and hamstrings reduce ACL injury risk
Sports Health: A Multidisciplinary Approach
https://journals.sagepub.com/home/spo
Shoe traction & cleat choice can impact ACL injury rates
American Journal of Sports Medicine
https://journals.sagepub.com/home/ajs
🏆 Additional ACL Prevention Resources
FIFA 11+ Injury Prevention Program (Proven to reduce ACL injuries)
https://www.fifamedicalnetwork.com/lessons/the-11-plus/
PEP (Prevent Injury and Enhance Performance) Program
https://www.aclstudygroup.com/pep-program
