Download 12.1 Anatomical Difference between Men and Woman Sexual

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SLO 12.1
12.1 Anatomical Difference between Men and Woman
Sexual Dimorphism is the term given for difference between male and females of the same
species
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Height: The average man is 15cm taller than the average woman
Weight: The average man is 15% heavier than the average woman
Body Mass: Men have a higher muscle mass
Reproductive
Shoulder Girdle
Rib Cage
Pelvic Girdle
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SLO 12.1
Skeletal
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Women have denser bones than men
Men have denser, stronger bones, tendons and ligaments
Women have a larger hip section than men
Men have a larger waist in comparison to their hips
Men have a broader shoulders
Male skull is different shape then females
Men have a more pronounced Adams Apple due to larger vocal cords
Can you spot the difference between the two pelvis’
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The female pelvis features a wider pelvic cavity which is necessary when giving birth
The female pelvis is broader , larger and more oval compared to the males taller, narrower
and more compact
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SLO 12.1
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BMI – Body Mass Index
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Is a number calculated from a individuals body weight in relation to their height. It does not
measure body fat directly but correlates well with methods of body fat measurement.
It is a screening tool to identify weight problems for adults
Note: Athletes with high muscle mass may register as very high BMI score this is due the fact
that the scale does not distinguish between body fat and muscle mass. It uses overall body
weight as a measure
Weight Status
< 18.5
18.5 -25
25 – 30
>30
Underweight
Normal
Overweight
Obese
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Body Fat Percentage
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Both male and female have essential and non-essential stored fat
Women have a higher amount of essential stored fat (skin, breast, genitals)
40% of overall body fat is essential body fat
Men have a lower amount of essential stored fat – 20% of body fat is essential body
Fat distribution is different in men and women
Women also have a lower centre of gravity
Essential Fat
20%
40%
Men
Women
Fat Distribution
Back, Chest , Abdomen
Arms, Thighs, Buttocks
Centre of Gravity
Higher
Lower
Muscle Mass
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Men generally have a greater total muscle mass based on weight
Men and women have equal number of muscle fibres
Male muscle fibres are larger – due to hormonal differences in the body
Hormone which feeds muscle growth is lower in females therefore the adaptation to
training is less in females
Men usually have an advantage in strength, speed, power over women
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SLO 12.1
Hormones
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Men and women have different levels of certain hormones
Men produce a higher concentration of androgens while women have a higher
concentration of oestrogens.
The male associated hormone is Testosterone
The female associated hormone is Oestrogen
Men have more bodily hair than women
Testosterone – is higher in Men
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Men have higher levels of testosterone in their body
Testosterone – causes muscle growth (eg during puberty in boys)
Factor in women’s response to training; the muscle doesn’t grow as fast as it would with the
same training load in men.
Oestrogen – is higher in Women
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Strength of soft tissue and muscle function
Laxity in joints and ligaments
Increase in flexibility
Increase in hyperextension of joints contributing to over laxative joints and ligaments
Relaxin
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Found to decrease collagen tension
Progesterone
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Acts as an anaesthetic for the central nervous system
Study :ACL Injury higher prevalence in woman – ijahsp.nova.edu/articles.vol5num1/hirst.pdf
Women have significantly higher rate of ACL tears than men do
Women have wider hips therefore more flexible hips leading to more rotation
Findings: Increased susceptibility to ACL injury in women during the menstrual cycle during the
ovulation phase found higher rate of injury during this period.
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Hormonal differences during Menstrual Cycle
Increase in oestrogen , relaxin , progesterone which in turn
Affect soft tissue strength
Diminish collagen tension
Anesthetise the central nervous system
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Organ Size
Heart Size
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Larger hearts – Men have +- 80% heart than women
10% higher red blood cell count and 40% more blood volume than a woman
10 % Higher haemoglobin
Larger clotting agents such as vitamin k, pro thrombin and platelets leading to faster healing
Greater oxygen carrying capacity
Lung Size
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Larger Tracheae
Larger branching bronchi
Increased lung volume per body mass
The cardiorespiratory system of men is on average 39% bigger than that of a woman and the
consumption of oxygen of women is 17% less on average
Brain Size
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Typically men have a larger brain size than women
Men have a larger amount of muscle mass and need more neurons to control their
increase body size .
Men and women perceive pain differently
Men and women react differently to stress
Heart
Men
25% Bigger
Brain
11 -12 % Bigger
Lungs
Larger Trachae and
Bronchi
Women
Benefits
Increased cardiac output therefore
takes less effort to pump out a
volume of blood
Larger amounts of oxygen
distributed to muscle
Slower to fatigue
Increased neurons to increased
muscle mass, a need for a larger
brain to bring about activation
Increased trachea and bronchi
allowing increase in lung volume
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and greater oxygen capacity
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Psychological
We really are very different creatures 
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Men have a larger brain
Women have four times as many brain cells connecting the right and left side of their
brain
Main rely on the left side of their brain to solve one problem at a time
Women have more efficient access to both sides of their brain and therefore greater
us of their right brain therefore woman can solve one or more problems at a time
This difference explains why men approach problem solving from more task
orientated perspective and women typically solve problems more creatively
Men and women approach problems with similar goals but different considerations
Communication: Women tend to communicate more effectively than men, men are
more task orientated, talk less and are more isolated
Sensitivity : Women have an enhanced physical alarm response to danger or threat
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Memory Women have an enhanced ability to recall memories that have strong
emotional components
Men tend to recall events in terms of using strategies
Stress: Women tend to stay calm while men react to the fight or fight syndrome this
is rooted in hormonal influences.
During stress oxytocin is released in both male and females, however estrogen tends
to enhance oxytocin and testosterone tends to supress is. Oxytocin results in calming
and nurturing feelings
Pain: women and men perceive pain differently
Emotions women are typically more in touch with their feelings
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12.2 Men V Woman Performance Differences
Muscle Strength
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Males possess greater strength for all muscle groups
On average women score 50% lower for upper body strength and 30%
Women do not have weaker muscles
A woman can generate the same amount of force per cross sectional area
N.B. Strength difference is equal to total muscle to activate
Women will respond similarly to an exercise programme when it comes to proportional
strength increase
Muscle Endurance/Stamina /Energy Level
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V02 max is total volume of oxygen one can consume each minute
Typically 40% greater in men
Female performance times typically 10% less in world track records
Men have a larger heart – cardiac output is higher and voz2 max is higher
Men have a higher amount of haemoglobin to carry oxygen in comparison to women
Metabolism in men is higher when muscle mass is higher
Body fat% is lower in male than female
Anaerobic energy production shows virtually no difference in men and women
Flexibility and Agility/Speed /Coordination
Flexibility
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Women have more flexibility than their male counterparts
Increased levels of oestrogen , relaxin make the ligaments more elasticated and lax
Joint stability can be affected due to increased hyper flexibility in ligaments surrounding
joints
Speed : Increased muscle mass contributes to increased speed in men
Agility: quickness and swiftness
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Men are generally quicker, faster and more agile than women
Stronger bigger muscles allow for ability to accelerate and decelerate faster
Too much muscle mass can inhibit agility and reaction time
On average men have a faster reaction time than women
Lower Centre of gravity
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In women allow for greater distribution of weight towards the hips and thighs proving
greater range of joint action here.
Skill/Specificity/Structure
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The greater height of a man provides advantage in delivering distance in events such as shot
put, javelin, basketball shooting and other throwing events
The higher centre of gravity of men provides and advantage in take off during jumping
events
The wider hip of women also result in gravity being lower than mens producing greater
range of motion on the joint, however stride length will be shorter and trajectory in
horizontal jumps will be shorter , vertical jumps will be lower.
Range of joint motion and flexibility is greater in women than men
Increase coordination of women is much better than that of men which makes them a lesser
injury risk in technical events such as jumps, hurdles
Structure
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Because men have broader shoulders than women and woman have broader hips than men
the angles of the tendons attachment and muscle alignment are different
The wider the hips the more the muscle will lose the efficiency of muscle pull, resulting in an
increased injury risk
Psychological
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Women develop psychological stress faster than men during competition
Woman are much easier to motivate than men and are more enthusiastic
Woman lose the fear of losing faster than men and will gain the hope of success much faster
Women are easier motivated by their own achievements than men
Womens emotional patterns change during menstruation
Women have greater patience
Women are more conscientious
Implications and Conclusion for training women and men
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Women have less strength , endurance and speed the effectiveness in biomechanical and
muscular activity of woman is also less in men
Women are more emotionally advanced than men but show increased sensitivity during
menstruation
Women have excellent elasticity, flexibility and coordination
When training both men and women the training load should be 2/3 of that the training load
for men, phasing them in over longer periods than men
Strength training must be applied more gradually for women than men
Women finish adolescent growth spurt earlier so can start strength training earlier
Be aware of physiological constraints between men and women