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Research on Male Vs. Female in Sport Performance

Mar 15, 2011 | By Laura Parr
Research on Male Vs. Female in Sport Performance
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Sex is an important determinant of sport performance, and countless studies have been carried out, comparing women to men, in an attempt to explain the gender differences. According to a 2010 article published in the "Journal of Sports Science and Medicine," each sport has a gender gap, which ranges from 5.5 percent in freestyle swimming to 18.8 percent in long jump, with men beating women every time.

Gender Gap

The 2010 article from the "Journal of Sports Science and Medicine," reported on 82 events from five Olympic disciplines -- swimming, skating, athletics, weightlifting and track cycling. Results found, while the gender gap decreased up until the early 1980s, as women benefited from better training, nutrition and medicine, it has been stable since 1983. The idea that women may never do as well as men in some disciplines is the conclusion.

Lower Extremity Injuries

Women are also more likely to suffer injury to the legs, especially at the knee. A study published in the "Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology" in February 2006, found no significant differences in muscle contraction or hamstring activation, and concluded that physical conditioning of adolescents may be to blame. But a previous study, published in "Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise" in October 2003, concluded that females land with less knee joint stability.

Concussion Recovery

Female athletes often demonstrate slower concussion recovery than their male counterparts. The May 2009 edition of the "American Journal of Sports Medicine" printed a study which found that all soccer players who had suffered at least one previous concussion performed worse on computer-based neuropsychological testing, than those who had not, but females performed significantly worse and reported more symptoms than men.

Physiological Responses

Men and women perform differently when it comes to physiological response. In 2009, the "Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research" published an article which partly explains this. Men and women were studied as they undertook circuit weight training over three sessions. Amongst other things, the men were found to use more energy per kilo of lean mass and to have better recovery times than the women. This is thought to be because the men consumed more oxygen than the women. The conclusion is that men and women should use different muscle loads and rest-to-work ratios when engaging in circuit weight training.

References

Article reviewed by Helen Covington Last updated on: Mar 15, 2011

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