Women Consume Less Oxygen Than Men for Muscular Work: Role of Lean Body Mass

Abstract

<p>The human machine wastes approximately 80% of its stored chemical energy in the conversion to mechanical energy. The exercise economy of humans is thus highly inefficient. Whether a distinction on this fact has to be made according to sex remains uncertain. Previous studies comparing exercise economy in women and men reported conflicting results, possibly because of the use of weight-bearing exercise or low sample size. Accordingly, this study sought to determine whether exercise economy is sex specific by implementing non–weight-bearing exercise in the largest sample size on this topic thus far. The potential role of body composition on sex differences in exercise economy was also assessed on the basis of recent findings revealing the sex-specific importance of lean body mass (LBM) on aerobic energy production.<br></p>