Sex difference of electromyogram of masticatory muscles and mandibular movement during chewing of food.

The aim of this study was to investigate whether there were sex differences in the electromyograms (EMG) of the masticatory muscles and in the mandibular movement of young adults when chewing food. Twenty subjects with normal dentitions were selected. The 11 test foods selected were all easily available in Japan. The results showed firstly that although there were no significant differences of chewing frequency between males and females, females chew food more slowly with less masticatory force and narrower mouth opening width than males; and secondly it appears that the chewing function in females is lower than in males.