Differences Between Male and Female Athletes Differences Between the Male and the Female Body Are the Work of Female Hormones!

Female Hormones Affect Not Only the Reproductive Organs but Also Muscles, Bones, Internal Organs, and More

It goes without saying that men and women are equal, with neither superior nor inferior to the other. However, looked at from a biological standpoint, it is equally true that both men and women possess their own particular characteristics.

Conspicuous differences between the sexes are generally held to arise from around 14-years-old onward. Until around the age of 12, sex differences in height and body weight are minimal, but with the onset of puberty, boys begin to exhibit greater height and weight increases and become more solidly built than girls. Girls, meanwhile, grow breasts, develop rounded figures, and start menstruating (having periods).

Women Won’t Get Stronger By Becoming More Like Men

Of the various differences between men and women, athletes should make sure they are aware of the four illustrated below.

Influencing all of these differences between men and women are female hormones. From puberty until menopause, women’s bone health, muscles, and even internal organs are affected by female hormones. Propensities for certain diseases, common injuries, and even average lifespan differ between men and women. These are all impacts of female hormones.

Variation of this kind also has an impact on sports performance. If we compare the difference in middle school fitness test results between boys and girls, we find that in many sports girls’ scores are at around only 70% of those of boys. This is reflected in the world of elite sports, where records in various disciplines have been set exclusively by men.

Perhaps as a result of this, many people subscribe to the mistaken idea that women’s physical capabilities are inferior to those of men, and that the closer women can get to men, the stronger they will become.

However, this is a significant error. Women’s bodies are biologically different to those of men. Women should avoid exercise training that interferes with the release of female hormones. We can expect there to be unique methods for women when it comes to conditioning and building strength. And we believe that by being mindful of these, female athletes can avoid injury and other issues, leading to outstanding athletic performance as a result.

Source: Sunaga, Mikako. Textbook for Female Athletes. SHUFUNOTOMO Co., Ltd.