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Erschienen in:
08.12.2016 | Original Article
No difference in plantar flexion maximal exercise power output between men and women
Erschienen in: Sport Sciences for Health | Ausgabe 1/2017
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Background
Maximal oxygen consumption \( \dot{V}O_{{2{\text{MAX}}}} \) can be lower in women compared to men during traditional, systemic exercise even when corrected for differences in fat free mass (FFM). One potential source for lower \( \dot{V}{\text{O}}_{{2{\text{MAX}}}} \) might be inherent differences in muscle in men and women. Exercising isolated muscle such as plantar flexion provides the opportunity to study muscle function independent of systemic O2 delivery limitations. It was hypothesized that women would have lower plantar flexion power output (PO) than men even when corrected to calf FFM.
Methods
Maximum \( \dot{V}{\text{O}}_{2} \) and PO were measured during graded treadmill exercise and PO during plantar flexion exercise in men and women.
Results
During maximal treadmill exercise, men had greater absolute \( \dot{V}{\text{O}}_{2} \) and PO. When expressed relative to FFM, there was no difference in PO at maximum between sexes, but \( \dot{V}{\text{O}}_{{2{\text{MAX}}}} \) was still greater in men. During maximal plantar flexion exercise, men demonstrated greater absolute PO, but this difference between sexes was eliminated when PO was expressed relative to calf FFM.
Conclusion
Healthy women do not demonstrate inherently lower muscle PO. Lower maximal \( \dot{V}{\text{O}}_{2} \) per FFM measured during treadmill exercise in women than men appears due to factors other than differences in muscle aerobic capacity.