Lilia Convit- Sports Scientist and Dietitian

01/03/2026

18/02/2026

Dr Lilia Convit Cordova 🎓✨

PhD – DONE.

What a journey this has been. My doctorate was completed in 3 years and 5 months of active candidature, but it took almost 5 years, including reviewer comments, revisions, and the long (character-building!) wait for conferral.

Four papers published from this work, countless drafts, edits, data collections, and more cups of coffee than I can count ☕📊

But this achievement was never mine alone.

To my parent: thank you for always believing in education, in perseverance, and in me.
To my children: you were there through it all, reminding me daily why I do what I do.
To my husband: thank you for your patience, your support, and for standing beside me in every high and low.

To my supervisors from and : thank you for your guidance, trust, and mentorship throughout this process.
To the athletes who participated in my studies, this research exists because of you.
And to my friends! Thanks for the dinners, the laughs and the time you provided away from books and labs 🤍

This PhD represents years of dedication to women’s health, hydration, thermoregulation, and performance and I’m so proud of the work we produced.

Dr. status: earned.
Grateful. Tired. Fulfilled. Ready for what’s next. ✨

10/11/2025

Excited to share that one of my PhD papers has been shortlisted for IJSNEM Paper of the Year 2025 🎉

📄 Sodium Hyperhydration Improves Performance With No Change in Thermal and Cardiovascular Strain in Female Cyclists Exercising in the Heat Across the Menstrual Cycle

This research contributes to the growing body of evidence supporting female-focused sport science. Standardising testing across menstrual cycle phases in trained athletes, while controlling for hydration, training load, temperature, and nutrition, is complex but essential if we want to develop strategies that genuinely support women’s performance.

The winner is decided by public vote.
If you’d like to support this work, you can vote here:

🔗 https://forms.gle/ZaHVDQ7uP8SaD8Y6A
🗓️ Closes 31 December

Thank you for championing research that prioritises women in sport and exercise science 💛💪

17/08/2025

Help test almond protein for hydration & metabolism. Attend four sessions at our Burwood campus and receive a $250 voucher! Click here for more details and eligibility: https://redcap.deakin.edu.au/surveys/?s=N8E4RFJE3WMJ934A

24/04/2025

🚴‍♀️💧 Salt Pills for Performance? YES. 💧🚴‍♀️

Our new study just confirmed it: sodium hyperhydration can make a real difference for female endurance athletes across the menstrual cycle, but especially post-ovulation 🌡️
📈 Women who took salt pills before exercising in the heat were up to 1.5 minutes faster than those who didn’t; that’s a massive gain for a simple strategy.
🧠 Why? Sodium helps the body retain fluid, improving hydration and reducing heat strain, and this becomes even more important in the post-ovulation phase, when hormones make thermoregulation slightly harder.
🗣️ “This changes how we think about performance and the menstrual cycle,” I told the Herald Sun.
💬 And our athletes felt it too, stronger legs, better energy, and real control over their hydration.
Whether you’re racing or training in the heat, this is a tool worth knowing 🔥

👀 Swipe to read the article published at The Herald Sun

24/02/2025

We just got a new publication on the use of mized pre-cooling as an acute heat mitigation strategy in female endurance athletes!
More info below:

New research just published online from our team:
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/23328940.2025.2465023
Pre-cooling with an ice slurry and ice vest is a very popular heat mitigation strategy. We tested this before a 10km run in the heat in females across the menstrual cycle and found that pre-cooling can attenuate the increase in core temperature and perception of feeling hot, with greater benefits after ovulation (second half of menstrual cycle) when core temperature is elevated. However, it doesn't improve running performance.

Did you know that females are generally more sensitive to feeling hot and cold? More to come on s*x comparisons with this pre-cooling strategy....

03/02/2025

Melbourne women aged 40-55—want better sleep?

We’re running a research study to see if eating eggs can improve sleep quality during perimenopause. If you're looking for simple ways to improve sleep, this study is for you!

🥚 Free eggs provided
💰 $200 gift card on completion
📊 Get personalised results on body composition, nutrient intake & sleep
📅 Short study duration

Join us in advancing women’s health research! Click here to learn more & sign up: https://ipan.deakin.edu.au/connect/participate/

Tag a friend who might be interested! 💙

07/01/2025

This study investigated the effect of sodium hyperhydration on thermal and cardiovascular strain and exercise performance in unacclimatized endurance-trained females exercising in the heat and whether effects differ between menstrual cycle (MC) Phase 1 (low estrogen and progesterone) and MC Phase 4....

21/11/2024

It’s getting hot 🥵🔥 in Australia, but Evidence Strong got you covered! Don’t miss the opportunity to learn how to fight the heat this season 💪🏻

Thanks again for inviting me Alex!

🏋️‍♀️ Extended version of this interview: https://www.patreon.com/posts/how-to-mitigate-115752083 🏋️‍♀️Lifting in the heat can be challenging, but there ar...

20/09/2024

This review examined the effect of acute heat mitigation strategies on physiological strain and exercise performance in females exercising in the heat. Three databases were searched for original re...

21/03/2024

I am so proud I got to be part of this amazing event Women In Sport Congress

Let’s play and see who can spot me in these pictures 👊🏻📸

27/01/2024

📍Sydney @
🗓️ April 11, 12 & 13, 2024

We are very pleased to tell you that we are going to offer an ISAK level 1 course (full course and recertifications) in Sydney, Australia at the .

If you are interested, please reach out! We will gladly send you all the relevant information.
au
📩 info@strivedietetics.com.au
📲 +61 400 943 360

You will have full access to theoretical and practical classes, as well as the opportunity to get your anthropometric equipment with .anthropometry.lab

Looking forward to meeting you there!