The differences between women and men fill cinema films and songs. Due to the so-called "gender gap", there is a lack of well-founded knowledge on gender differences in sports science.
We asked Dr Markus Buchner about the current state of research and why women and men should really train differently. The graduate physicist teaches and researches movement sequences at the University of Heidelberg. He specialises in performance diagnostics, movement sensor technology and endurance training.
As a senior academic advisor and head of the sports science degree programme, he is an expert on different training needs. In this interview, Dr Buchner explains the gender differences in cycling.
Differences between male and female bikers
BIKE: From a sports science perspective, what are the biggest differences between men and women?
DR. MARKUS BUCHNER: Men and women in sport actually have a lot in common. For example, the basic scientific training principles are the same. This also applies to the principle of individualisation. In other words, differences between the sexes can be very different. Not all women react the same way to training and not all men react the same way to training. This makes it difficult for sports science to define differences.
However, there are of course anatomical differences. For example, women have wider hips, while men tend to have longer extremities. However, women have longer thighs on average and in relation to the inner leg length. Female athletes are more mobile, have less muscular protection and therefore a higher risk of injury to the lower extremities. For example, jumping strains are more likely to lead to cruciate ligament ruptures.
Women have certain advantages when it comes to regeneration. They can often compensate for longer aerobic endurance units in the basic range more quickly. Men have a body fat percentage of around ten to 15 per cent. For women, the proportion is significantly higher at 20 to 25 per cent. They can benefit from this thanks to a better fat metabolism during longer endurance workouts. Men, on the other hand, recover better from intensive intervals.
In addition to anatomy, there are hormonal factors. The study situation on this is also not ideal. However, we do know that the phases of the female cycle can influence what should be trained and what should be avoided. Due to higher testosterone levels, men have higher maximum strength levels. They have higher haemoglobin and around ten percent higher VO2max values.
How do differences between male and female cyclists become noticeable?
Due to menstruation, good nutrition is particularly important for female athletes in the first two weeks of their cycle to prevent iron deficiency. During high-intensity training, they need to pay more attention to what they feed their bodies. Gender differences can also be observed in sports behaviour. Overall, women exercise less. Even daughters and sons are motivated differently by their parents. This has to do with social role models, among other things.
Performance, strength and willingness to take risks are often associated with men. In addition, there can be different body relationships. In competitive sport, this is known as the Kurnikova syndrome. Anna Kurnikova was a successful tennis player in the 1990s who witnessed how the public focus increasingly shifted from her sporting performance to her appearance. This can have a deterrent effect on female athletes.
The anatomical differences in extremities and joint angles are naturally noticeable in the biomechanics. For example, female and male bodies generally require different seating positions on the bike. Female cyclists may require a different Q-factor due to their wider hips and often have to consider X-leg positions.
The more high-intensity strength and endurance are required, the more disadvantaged women are. The more The more flexibility and coordination play a role, the more of an advantage they have. Women also often have better reaction times than men, which can play a role in downhill skiing, for example.
Cycling training for women and men
Should women and men train differently as a result?
Basic principles, such as the alternation of intensity and recovery, are independent of gender. There are also initially no differences in technique training or when it comes to heart rate zones or lactate thresholds in performance diagnostics.
However, the periodisation can be different if it is adapted to the female cycle. In the first phase of the cycle, oestrogen and performance levels are higher. Strength training is therefore recommended in the two weeks after menstruation, while basic endurance training is better placed in the subsequent luteal phase.
Female athletes often follow a periodisation cycle of two times two weeks. Men, on the other hand, tend to organise their training periods in four or six-week cycles. It should also be emphasised that female cyclists benefit particularly from strength training. On the one hand, it helps them to prevent injuries and, on the other, it can improve pedalling economy.
However, there are many challenges to gender-specific differences in sports science. In fact, around 80 per cent of sports science studies only deal with men. This leads to the so-called gender gap. There is a lack of data for women.
However, this is currently changing and the research topic is becoming increasingly hyped. In the past, the gender gap in sport was often neglected for reasons of simplicity. For example, not all studies can map additional hormone analyses.
Research usually takes place at universities. The test subject groups are therefore largely made up of students, which makes it difficult to transfer the results to competitive sport or beginners.
When taking physiological measurements, researchers also have to take into account the phases of the female cycle. Another legitimate question is whether women and men should always be compared with each other. After all, there are also different categories and starting groups in cycling.
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Jan Timmermann
Editor
