Understanding The Differences Between Men And Women In Long Distance Running

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VO2max: maximal oxygen consumption

Females have less blood than males. This could be explained first by the period women experience every month, but that isn’t the only factor. The blood plays an important role while running. Indeed, the vital oxygen you need to make your muscles work is transported through blood.
VO2max is the maximum capacity to store, transport and use oxygen during aerobic exercise. In other words, this is the maximum volume of oxygen consumed during exercise. Your muscles and oxygen are necessary to produce the required energy for training. The more your VO2 max is, the more your body is able to use oxygen to produce energy.

The VO2max on average for male is 45-50 ml/min/kg and 35-40 ml /min/kg for female.Men have an average of 13.6 to 17.5 grams of haemoglobin per decalitre in their blood. Women have 12.0 to 15.5 grams per decalitre.

Women therefore have less capacity to store and transport oxygen, a difference that translates both during tests of strength or resistance during endurance events.

A More Advantageous Metabolism In Women

Carbohydrate (or glucose) is stored as glycogen in the muscles and liver. These stores represent the prime source of energy but they are limited. Indeed, the muscles can store about 400 grams of glycogen and the liver 100 grams.

After running out of this energy, a runners’ body will seek another source of energy through the fat. You store fat all over your body, especially beneath the skin and around internal organs. An important note is that proteins are generally not used as the main resource of energy, except in extreme circumstances.

Men will use glycogen as the energy used while running whereas women can easily use fat and less carbohydrate at a given intensity of exercise.

Men will need to recharge their hydrocarbon stocks to fuel their running capacity. It takes about 30 minutes to hydrocarbon/sugar to reach your bloodstream.

As a conclusion, women need to approach their training and racing differently than men to optimise their unique characteristics.

More than that, hormones in both males and females differ in amounts and in the effect that they have in their body. Indeed, for women, the best time to run is during the Follicular Phase, which is during your sixth to 15th day after your period. The differences occur in muscles and metabolism as well.

Being aware of these differences means is also a way to realise that your needs are different, that is why tailoring your diet and your training is necessary.
In short, women are scientifically better distance runners than men. So go ahead and with safe and consistent training, you can outrun the boys!


Nikki Yeo
Nikki Yeo is a safe training movement advocate and also Head of Sports Marketing at GoInternationalGroup.com. Her fitness dogma is founded on the belief that physical fitness makes the greatest impact on our quality of life. She believes that her purpose isn’t just about improving fitness, but about changing lives. Nikki is a Certified Specialist by Functional Movement System, Certified Personal Trainer by American Council on Exercise, Health & Fitness Professional of “Exercise is Medicine” awarded by the American College of Sports Medicine and a Barefoot Training Specialist by Evidence Based Fitness Academy America. For more about Nikki, visit www.nikkiyeo.com

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