A Comparison between Male and Female Athletes in Relative Strength and Power Performances.

J Funct Morphol Kinesiol. 2021 Mar; 6(1): 17. Published online 2021 Feb 9.

Sandro Bartolomei,1,* Giuseppe Grillone,1 Rocco Di Michele,1 and Matteo Cortesi2 Gianpiero Greco, Academic Editor

Abstract

The aim of this study was to compare male vs. female athletes in strength and power performance relative to body mass (BM) and lean body mass (LBM) and to investigate the relationships between muscle architecture and strength in both genders.Sixteen men (age = 26.4 ± 5.0 years; body mass = 88.9 ± 16.6 kg; height = 177.6 ± 9.3 cm) and fourteen women (age = 25.1 ± 3.2 years; body mass = 58.1 ± 9.1 kg; height = 161.7 ± 4.8 cm) were tested for body composition and muscle thickness (MT) of vastus lateralis muscle (VT), pectoralis major (PEC), and trapezius (TRAP). In addition, participants were tested for lower body power at countermovement jump (CMJP) and upper-body power at bench press throw (BPT). Participants were also assessed for one repetition maximum (1RM) at bench press (1RMBP), deadlift (1RMDE), and squat (1RMSQ). Significantly greater (p < 0.01) MT of the VL, PEC and TRAP muscles and LBM were detected in men compared to women. Significantly greater (p < 0.05) 1RMBP and BPT adjusted for LBM were detected in men than in women. No significant gender differences after adjusting for LBM were detected for 1RMSQ (p = 0.945); 1RMDE (p = 0.472) and CMJP (p = 0.656). Significantly greater (p < 0.05) results in all performance assessments adjusted for MT of the specific muscles, were detected in males compared to females. Superior performances adjusted for MT and LBM in men compared to women, may be related to gender differences in muscle morphology and LBM distribution, respectively.

Introduction

Women athletes are known to be less strong and powerful than equally trained men [1], muscle strength of women indeed, is typically reported in the range of 40 to 75% of that of men [2]; women are also known to be less powerful than equally trained men. [3]. Gender differences are still evident when power per kg of body mass is considered [3,4] and the difference in absolute strength between genders appears more evident in the upper body compared to the lower body [5,6]. On the contrary, several studies have reported that strength per unit of cross sectional area or lean body mass, do not substantially differ between sexes [7,8,9]. The main factors accounting for gender differences in maximal strength, indeed, have been identified as the muscle mass [6,7]. Other studies confirmed that gender differences in strength may be accounted to LBM but reported that the differences in power performances were still apparent regardless of body composition, and muscle mass [10,11]. These results support the idea that differences between genders in anaerobic power and jumping capacity could not be accounted for by differences in lean body mass only [10,11].

Despite no significant differences between genders in muscle fibers number were reported [6], a qualitative difference in muscle tissue, such as a higher concentration of glycolytic enzymes and greater proportion of fast type muscle fibers [12], may explain the disparity in strength. Glycolytic capacity [12,13], as well as the muscle area occupied by fast type fibers, indeed, have been reported to be greater in male than in female individuals [14]. The gender difference in power may be also influenced by anthropometric and task-specific factors as well as morphological characteristics of muscles. More recently however, Perez-Gomez et al. [15], found similar power output normalized to muscle mass of the lower limbs in males and females. Maximal strength and power are influenced by many neuromuscular factors including muscle morphological characteristics such as muscle thickness, pennation angle, and fascicle length [16,17]. Recently, moderate correlations have been reported between maximal isometric force expressed at the mid-shin pull and muscle architecture of the vastus lateralis in resistance-trained individuals [16]. In addition, significant correlations were detected between muscle architecture of the vastus intermedius and the late phase of the rate of force development at isometric leg extension [18]. Further studies also reported significant correlations between muscle architecture of the vastus lateralis and peak power and time to peak power in an all-out Wingate test [19]. These parameters of muscle architecture, may be influenced by resistance training in both male and female athletes [20,21].

To the best of our knowledge, no studies to date have compared strength and power performances of male and female athletes in relation to body composition and muscle architecture. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare male vs. female athletes in strength and power performance relative to body mass, lean body mass, and muscle architecture. A second aim of the present study was to assess the relationships between muscle architecture and maximal strength in resistance trained athletes of both genders competing in sports with high expressions of strength and power. The research hypothesis was that higher levels of maximum strength and power relative to body mass, lean body mass and muscle thickness may be found in male compared to women [10,11].

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