Department of Physiological Sciences, University of Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch, South Africa.
Department of Medical Biosciences, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, South Africa.
J Appl Physiol (1985). 2024 May 1;136(5):1133-1143. doi: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00707.2023. Epub 2024 Feb 15.
Women have a disadvantage for performance in long-distance running compared with men. To elaborate on inherent characteristics, 12 subelite women were matched with 12 men for training volume (M-Tm) (56.6 ± 18 vs. 55.7 ± 17 km/wk). The women were also matched to other men for a 10 km staged outdoor time trial (M-Pm) (42:36 min:s) to determine which factors could explain equal running performance. Anthropometry and treadmill tests were done. Fiber type (% Type I and Type IIA) and citrate synthase activities were analyzed in muscle biopsy samples. Consistent sex differences for both comparisons included height, weight, % body fat ( < 0.01), and hematocrit ( < 0.05). Women had lower V̇o and peak treadmill speed (PTS) compared with both M-Tm and M-Pm ( < 0.01). Training matched pairs had no sex difference in % PTS at race pace but compared with M-Pm women ran at a higher % PTS ( < 0.05) and %HR ( < 0.01) at race pace. On average, the women trained 22.9 km/wk more than M-Pm (+67.5%, < 0.01). This training was not associated with higher V̇o or better running economy. Muscle morphology and oxidative capacity did not differ between groups. Percentage body fat remained significantly higher in women. In conclusion, women matched to men for training volume had slower 10 km performance (-10.5% < 0.05). Higher training volume, more high-intensity sessions/wk, and time spent training in the 95%-100% HR zone may explain the higher % PTS and %HR at race pace in women compared with performance-matched men. When subelite women 10 km runners were matched with male counterparts for 10 km race performance, inherent differences in % body fat, V̇o, Hct, and peak treadmill speed were counteracted by significantly higher training volume, more time training at higher %HRmax and consequently, higher %HRmax and %PTS at race pace. Citrate synthase activity and muscle fiber types did not differ. When women and men matched for training, 10 km performance of men was 10.5% faster.
女性在长距离跑步方面的表现不如男性。为了详细说明内在特征，将 12 名次精英女性与 12 名男性进行训练量匹配（M-Tm）（56.6±18 与 55.7±17 公里/周）。还将女性与其他男性进行 10 公里分段户外计时赛（M-Pm）（42:36 分钟：秒）进行匹配，以确定哪些因素可以解释平等的跑步表现。进行了人体测量学和跑步机测试。分析了肌肉活检样本中的纤维类型（% Type I 和 Type IIA）和柠檬酸合酶活性。这两个比较都包括身高、体重、体脂百分比（<0.01）和红细胞压积（<0.05），性别差异一致。与 M-Tm 和 M-Pm 相比，女性的 V̇o 和峰值跑步机速度（PTS）均较低（<0.01）。训练匹配对在比赛速度的% PTS 上没有性别差异，但与 M-Pm 相比，女性在比赛速度时的 PTS（<0.05）和%HR（<0.01）更高。平均而言，女性每周比 M-Pm 多训练 22.9 公里（+67.5%，<0.01）。这种训练与更高的 V̇o 或更好的跑步经济性无关。肌肉形态和氧化能力在各组之间没有差异。女性的体脂百分比仍然明显较高。总之，与男性训练量匹配的女性 10 公里表现较慢（-10.5%，<0.05）。更高的训练量、更高强度的训练次数/周以及在 95%-100%HR 区的训练时间可能解释了女性在比赛速度时 PTS 和%HR 更高的原因，而与表现匹配的男性相比。当次精英女性 10 公里跑步者与男性对手进行 10 公里比赛时，体脂百分比、V̇o、Hct 和峰值跑步机速度的内在差异被显著更高的训练量、更高 HRmax 的训练时间和更高的 HRmax 和 PTS 所抵消。%比赛速度。柠檬酸合酶活性和肌肉纤维类型没有差异。当女性和男性进行训练匹配时，男性的 10 公里表现快 10.5%。
