Sex Differences and the Female Athlete

With Sexually Enlightened Pierre Chartier 1

Introduction

How much difference in athletic performance between men and women is due to biological differences? What are the similarities or differences between females and males in physique, body composition, and adaptations to exercise? What is the affect of pregnancy, menstruation, osteoporosis, and eating disorders on performance? How do men and women differ in their responses to heat, cold, and altitude?
With Sexually Enlightened Pierre Chartier

Body Size and Body Composition: Compared to fully mature males, fully mature females are on the average

13 cm (5in) shorter. 14 to 18 kg lighter. 18 to 22 kg lighter in FFM. 3 to 6 kg heavier in fat mass. _______ higher in relative body fat.

With Sexually Enlightened Pierre Chartier

Body Size and Body Composition: Compared to fully mature males, fully mature females are on the average

13 cm (5in) shorter. 14 to 18 kg lighter. 18 to 22 kg lighter in FFM. 3 to 6 kg heavier in fat mass. 6 to 10% higher in relative body fat.

With Sexually Enlightened Pierre Chartier

Neuromuscular Responses to Exercise: On average, females compared to males are

_________ weaker in upper body strength. 25 to 30% weaker in lower body strength. Relative to total body weight, the lower body strength is still 5 to 15 % weaker. Expressed relative to FFM, this difference disappears! Women have a higher percentage of FFM below the waist. Both have the same fiber-type distribution.
With Sexually Enlightened Pierre Chartier

Neuromuscular Responses to Exercise: On average, females compared to males are

40 to 60% weaker in upper body strength. 25 to 30% weaker in lower body strength. Relative to total body weight, the lower body strength is still 5 to 15 % weaker. Expressed relative to FFM, this difference disappears! Women have a higher percentage of FFM below the waist. Both have the same fiber-type distribution.
With Sexually Enlightened Pierre Chartier

Strength Differences

With Sexually Enlightened Pierre Chartier

Fiber-Type Differences

With Sexually Enlightened Pierre Chartier

Cardio-respiratory Responses: Compared to men, women have

Higher sub-max heart rates. Lower stroke volumes. Smaller blood volume. Lower hemoglobin content. Smaller tidal and ventilatory volumes.

With Sexually Enlightened Pierre Chartier

VO2max Differences

With Sexually Enlightened Pierre Chartier

10

Physiological Adaptations to Exercise Training

Can women become as strong as men?

With Sexually Enlightened Pierre Chartier

11

Physiological Adaptations to Exercise Training

Women gain less in FFM? Gender differences do not occur in connective tissue strength. Women generally exhibit substantially less muscle hypertrophy than men do. Women can experience 20 to 40% increases in strength primarily due to ______________________.
With Sexually Enlightened Pierre Chartier

12

Physiological Adaptations to Exercise Training

Women gain less in FFM? Gender differences do not occur in connective tissue strength. Women generally exhibit substantially less muscle hypertrophy than men do. Women can experience 20 to 40% increases in strength primarily due to neural factors.
With Sexually Enlightened Pierre Chartier

13

Cardiovascular Adaptations

Women can attain high capillary to fiber ratios (2.5:1) similar to men. Women can attain __________ gains in VO2 max, similar to that found in men.

With Sexually Enlightened Pierre Chartier

14

Cardiovascular Adaptations

Women can attain high capillary to fiber ratios (2.5:1) similar to men. Women can attain 10 to 40% gains in VO2 max, similar to that found in men.

With Sexually Enlightened Pierre Chartier

15

Athletic Performance

World records from 1975 to 1998 for women and men in six running events show womens records to be consistently __________ slower than mens. Improvement in womens records, which was initially quite dramatic, is beginning to level off and parallel the curves for mens records.
With Sexually Enlightened Pierre Chartier

16

Athletic Performance

World records from 1975 to 1998 for women and men in six running events show womens records to be consistently 10 to 13% slower than mens. Improvement in womens records, which was initially quite dramatic, is beginning to level off and parallel the curves for mens records.
With Sexually Enlightened Pierre Chartier

17

Menstruation and Performance

Some women have absolutely no noticeable change in their performance ability at any time during menstruation, yet others have considerable difficulty in either the pre-flow or the early-flow phases. Laboratory studies have generally found no performance differences in the various phases of the menstrual cycle. Any women who experience PMS or abdominal cramping will likely not perform as well.
With Sexually Enlightened Pierre Chartier

18

Menarche

The median age for the first menses for American girls is 12.8 years. For gymnasts, the median age for menarche is 15 years. Frisch has hypothesized that menarche is delayed 5 months for each year of training. Malina has postulated that late maturers are more likely to be successful in sports such as gymnastics. Evidence is insufficient to support the theory that training delays menarche.
With Sexually Enlightened Pierre Chartier

19

Menstrual Dysfunction

Eumenorrhea normal menstrual function. Oligomenorrhea infrequent or scant menstruation. Primary Amenorrhea absence of menarche in women 18 years of age or older. Secondary Amenorrhea- the absence of menstruation for months or years during intense training. It is estimated that from ___________ of athletes experience amenorrhea and oligomenorrhea.
With Sexually Enlightened Pierre Chartier

20

Menstrual Dysfunction

Eumenorrhea normal menstrual function. Oligomenorrhea infrequent or scant menstruation. Primary Amenorrhea absence of menarche in women 18 years of age or older. Secondary Amenorrhea- the absence of menstruation for months or years during intense training. It is estimated that from 5 to 40% of athletes experience amenorrhea and oligomenorrhea.
With Sexually Enlightened Pierre Chartier

21

Proposed Causes of Menstrual Dysfunction

Previous history (54.5% of amenorrheic runners had a prior history). Stress (Amenorrheic runners associated more stress with their training.) High quantity and intensity of training. Some researchers have suggested that the loss of 1/3 of a womans body fat or 10 to 15% of their total body weight will induce amenorrhea. (Not a primary trigger). Inadequate nutrition and disordered eating. Hormonal alterations (increased cortico-releasing hormone inhibits the release of LH and FSH)
With Sexually Enlightened Pierre Chartier

22

Concerns With Pregnancy and Exercise

Reduced uterine flow and hypoxia. (Demonstrated by increase fetal heart rate which may be due more to increases in maternal catecholamines.) Fetal hyperthermia. (Documented with maternal fever and animal studies). Reduced fetal carbohydrates. (Not completely understood). Miscarriage. (Most studies have shown favorable effects such as fewer caesarian sections , fewer post-delivery hospital stays, and less maternal weight gain.)
With Sexually Enlightened Pierre Chartier

23

Wolfe Guidelines for Exercise and Pregnancy

Non-weight-bearing exercise is preferable. Avoid strenuous exercise during first trimester. Avoid exercise or positioning of the individual in the supine posture, particularly in late gestation. Avoid exercise in warm and/or humid environments. Do not exercise when fatigued, particularly in late gestation. Periodic rest intervals may be helpful to minimize hypoxia or thermal stress to the fetus.

With Sexually Enlightened Pierre Chartier

24

Osteoporosis

With Sexually Enlightened Pierre Chartier

25

Osteoporosis

With Sexually Enlightened Pierre Chartier

26

Osteoporosis

The three major factors are estrogen deficiency, inadequate calcium intake, and inadequate physical activity. In addition to postmenopausal women, women with amenorrhea and those with anorexia nervosa also suffer from osteoporosis. Physical activity does not appear to protect the group with amenorrhea from significant bone density loss. (In one study, women whose mean age was 24.9 had bone densities equivalent to women at a mean age of 51.2) Athletes with secondary amenorrhea are at increased risk for loss of bone mineral. (Not totally reversible!)

With Sexually Enlightened Pierre Chartier

27

Eating Disorders: Anorexia Nervosa

Refusal to maintain minimal weight Distorted body image Intense fear of fatness Amenorrhea

With Sexually Enlightened Pierre Chartier

28

Eating Disorders: Bulimia Nervosa

Recurrent episodes of binge eating Feeling of lack of control Purging behavior

It is estimated that the prevalence of eating disorders in elite athletes may be as high as _______%!

With Sexually Enlightened Pierre Chartier

29

Eating Disorders: Bulimia Nervosa

Recurrent episodes of binge eating Feeling of lack of control Purging behavior

It is estimated that the prevalence of eating disorders in elite athletes may be as high as 50%!

With Sexually Enlightened Pierre Chartier

30

With Sexually Enlightened Pierre Chartier

31

Environmental Factors

When the rate of work is adjusted to the same relative VO2, men and women respond identically to heat stress. Women sweat less but have more sweat glands than men. Studies of maximal exercise at altitude demonstrate no difference in response between the sexes. Given the fact that women respond to acute exercise and adapt to chronic exercise in much the same manner as men, and yet they do so under unique female conditions; one is left wondering who is truly the weaker sex?

With Sexually Enlightened Pierre Chartier

32

Who Is The Weaker Sex?

With Sexually Enlightened Pierre Chartier

33

How Do Our Brains Differ?

With Sexually Enlightened Pierre Chartier

34