Aussie Stingers unlock secret weapon ahead of LA 2028 Games

Australia’s Women’s Water Polo team - the Aussie Stingers - are on the cusp of building their strongest squad ever ahead of the 2028 LA Olympics with the team undertaking a world-first research project kicking off in Canberra tomorrow.  

The squad will take part in an intensive two-week camp at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) where leading researchers will, for the first time ever, study the energy availability in aquatic athletes.  

Energy availability is the amount of energy (calories) your body has left over after exercise to fuel essential body functions – and according to experts it can make or break an athlete’s performance.  

“The optimal energy availability can unlock an athlete’s full potential, while a lack of energy availability can silently destroy it,” AIS Female Performance and Health Initiative Lead and 2000 Olympic swimmer Dr Rachel Harris said.  

“At the world-class level, the ideal energy availability could be the difference between fourth and first place because it leads to faster decision-making, more explosive power and a sharper focus when performing.  

“Our goal is to identify athletes who suffer from low energy availability which happens when an athlete doesn’t eat enough calories or uses up too much energy during exercise.” 

“Over time, this can sabotage performance and for females in particular lead to serious health issues such as osteoporosis, menstrual disruptions or fertility challenges.” 

Aussie Stingers Coach Bec Rippon said it’s these one percenters that make all the difference on the world stage.  

“With a world class research team leading the way we are extremely grateful and excited to head to the AIS where the camp and research will be directly linked,” Rippon said. 

“This will have a direct impact on female athletes in water polo which is extremely important as there is not a lot out there specific to a group like this." 

Leading sports dietician Professor Louise Burke OAM and sports scientist Dr Alannah McKay from the Australian Catholic University will spend hours monitoring each athlete’s food intake, sleep patterns and training load.  

“Measuring how much energy an athlete burns in any sport can be challenging, but it’s especially hard in a water-based environment,” Professor Burke said. 

“Through rigorous testing we’ll gain a clearer understanding of how much energy each athlete requires in the water and then develop tailored nutrition and training plans to maximise their health and performance outcomes.” 

This is the second major research camp focused on female athletes, following the successful National Rugby League’s Women’s Academy camp in 2022 which looked at the impact of periods on health and performance.  

The camp will run at the AIS campus in Canberra from Friday October 31 to Saturday November 15. 

Both low energy availability and Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDS) can affect both men and women but is more common among female athletes.