The unique physiological
characteristics that make men inherently different from women makes the topic
of sports performance interesting to discuss. Women were not permitted in large
numbers to competitive sports until the 1970’s. (Kenney, Wilmore, &
Costill, 2015) Because a higher number of participants would increase the level
of achievement in sport this social construct has undoubtedly held women back
regarding achievement in sport. There is plenty of evidence, however, to
suggest that women are making up for lost time.
Increased
testosterone levels lead to increased bone formation and protein synthesis which
ultimately produces larger bones and more muscle mass in men compared to women.
(Kenney, Wilmore, & Costill, 2015) This hormonal discrepancy, which also
provides men with a distinct advantage regarding the acquisition of fat-free
mass (FFM), will most likely always provide men with an advantage over women in
sports in which strength and power are the primary drivers of performance. That
said, there is evidence to support that when these hormonal discrepancies are
controlled for, the differences between men and women regarding the acquisition
of strength disappear. There is evidence that suggests when lower body strength
is expressed relative to body weight, women are only 5-15% weaker than men, but
when it is expressed relative to FFM, men and women are equals regarding force
production per unit of muscle cross-sectional area. (Kenney, Wilmore, &
Costill, 2015)
There are a few competitive
events in which women’s unique anthropometry and physiology may offer them a
distinct advantage over their male counterparts. As women’s participation in
athletic competition continues to grow, this becomes more evident. According to
Kenney, Wilmore, & Costill (2015) V02max in highly trained individuals only
differs from 8-15% when comparing women to men, and much of the difference is attributable
to women’s greater FFM, lower hemoglobin levels, and lower maximum cardiac
output. This relatively small gap in V02max differences combined with their typically
smaller body sizes, which require lower metabolic demand, may actually make
them more resistant to fatigue and give them a leg up in ultra-endurance
competitions.
An analysis of the
data between 1971 and 2012 by Zingg et. al. (2015) showed that performance
differences between sexes decreased linearly in 50-mile events and 100-mile
events during that period of time. This linear decrease suggests that women are
reducing the “sex gap” regarding performance at these distances. (Zingg et.
al., 2015) Arnal et al. (2015) observed less peripheral fatigue in the plantar
flexors and greater decreases in maximal force loss of the knee extensors after
a 110-km ultra-trail-running race in women when compared to men. This provides
more evidence that women may be more resistant to fatigue and clarity to the
increasing number of reports of women outperforming men in extreme duration
running races.
As women continue
to get more involved in competition I have no doubt in my mind the sex performance
gap will continue to narrow. The unique differences in male and female
physiologies are well documented and we can use the knowledge of this science
to better position athletes for continued success. Men may continue to have a
distinct advantage in athletic events dominated by our anaerobic energy
systems, but when it comes to long duration aerobic dominant events, women are literally
and metaphorically taking the lead.
References:
Arnal,
P.J., Rupp, T., Feasson, L., Cartier, R., Gergelé, L., Verges, S., Martin, V.,
Millet, G.Y. (2015) Are Females More Resistance to Extreme Neuromuscular
Fatigue? Medicine and Science in Sport and
Exercise, 47(7), 1372-1382.
Kenny,
L.W., Wilmore, J.H., Costill, D.L. (2015) Physiology
of Sport and Exercise (6th Edition). Champaign IL: Human
Kinetics.
Zingg,
M.A., Knechtle, B., Rosemann, T., Rust, C. (2015) Performance Differences between
sexes in 50-mile to 3,100-mile Ultramarathons. Journal of Sports Medicine, 6, 7-21.
