BY SHREEMANTI BHATTACHARYYA3RD YEAR STUDENT
MEDICAL COLLEGE AND HOSPITAL, KOLKATA.
EXERCISE AND SPORTS IN WOMEN
THE MYTH
Myth of the “stronger sex” and “the weaker sex”
Women’s sport as reflected in the medical discourse
PHYSIOLOGICAL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MALE AND FEMALE ATHLETES
Fat storage
Muscle mass
Muscle strength
Endurance
Thermoregulation
CARDIOVASCULAR RESPONSE
LV END DIASTOLIC CAVITY DIMENSIONS
40 43 46 49 52 55 58 61 640
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
female athletessedentary female con-trols
DISTRIBUTION OF MAXIMUM LV WALL THICKNESS IN 738 MALE ATHLETES AND 600 FEMALE ATHLETES
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 101112131415160
50
100
150
200
250
300
Male athletesFemale athletes
RELATIVE IMPACT OF DIFFERENT SPORTS ON LV CAVITY DIMENSIONS
Controls
Wrestling
Shooting
Track and Field
Tennis
Waterpolo
Rowing/Canoeing
Cycling
0 20 40 60 80 100
Percentage Increase
Percentage Increase
METABOLIC DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MALE AND FEMALE ATHLETES
Basal metabolic rateActive young woman-2400kcal/d
Active young man-3000 to 3200kcal/d
BMR when calculated in terms of lean muscle mass the difference disappears.
Oxygen uptakeWomen have 10-15% less Hb/100ml of blood.Men have higher levels of arterial-venous oxygen difference
Blood Lactate Levels Women and girls reach elevated venous blood lactate levels at a lower absolute workload.
Fat metabolismWomen cannot mobilize or utilize fat from adipose tissue better than men.
Gender Sport VO2 max(ml/kg/min)
Males •Cross country skiers•Marathon runners•Rowers•Long distance swimmers•Speed skaters
70-9470-7558-75
48-6850-75
Females •Cross country skiers•Marathon runners•Rowers•Distance swimmers•Speed skaters
56-7450-5541-5845-6040-52
ATHLETIC DISORDERS SPECIFIC TO WOMEN
FEMALE ATHLETE TRIAD
Exercise Effects
Energy Drain
Eating Disorders
Mental Stress
Genetic Factors
Reproductive
Immaturity
Hypothalamic Dysfunction
GnRH FSH & LH Oestradiol
Progesterone
Delayed MenarcheShort Luteal
Phase/AnovulationOligo/Amenorrhoea
Reduced Bone MassStress
Fractures
Infertility(temporary
)
BONE MINERAL DENSITY OF THE LUMBER SPINE AND LOWER LIMB
Lum
ber
Fem
oral
nec
k
Troc
hant
er
Inte
rtroc
hant
eric R
egio
n
Fem
oral
sha
ft
Tibi
a
Fibu
la0
0.4
0.8
1.2
1.6
In Amenorrhoeic Ath-letesIn Eumenorrhoeic Ath-letes
NUTRITION AND THE ACTIVE WOMAN
Dietary component
Comment or role
Intake requirement
Sources
Carbohydrate
•Important for endurance athletes•Less important for strength athletes
•5-7 gm/kg for moderate to low intensity exercise•7-12 gm/kg for high intensity exercise
•Fruits•Vegetables•Whole grain bread•Brown rice•Legumes•Rolled oats•Sweet potatoes
Protein •Important for all active individuals•Needed for energy and muscle repair
•1.2-1.4gm/kg/d for endurance athletes•1.6-1.8gm/kg/d for resistance or speed athletes
•Lean pork and beef•Fish•Eggs•Poultry•Corn
Dietary component
Comment or role
Intake requirement
Sources
Fat •Required for active individuals•Provides the most energy per gram of all macronutrients•Maintains sex hormones and aids in the absorption of fat soluble vitamins
•Linoleic acid-11-12gm/d•Alpha linoleic acid -1.1gm/d•25-30% of energy intake should be from fat
•Fish oil supplements•Safflower oil•Sunflower oil•Nuts•Seeds•Corn oil•Egg yolk•Nut butter
Dietary component
Comment or role
Intake requirements
Sources
Fluids •Important to maintain performance
•2.2L/d for women aged 19-30 years•400-600ml 2hrs before exercise•150-350 ml every 15-20 min during exercise
•Sports drink containing carbohydrate and sodium
Iron •Iron deficiency common due to menstrual losses or vegetarian diets leading to long term fatigue
•Varies •Red meat•Supplements under close monitoring due to potential adverse effects
THE PREGNANT ATHLETE
CONCLUSION
As more women undertake serious conditioning and training and gain in international experience, many former “barriers” will fall by the wayside and many “limits” will be exceeded.