Women are not small men

For centuries, women's physiology has been under-explored, overshadowed by research predominantly focussed on male bodies. However, recent advances in scientific studies have highlighted that women are not simply smaller versions of men. There are profound physiological differences between the sexes that extend beyond size and shape.

In this blog post, we delve into these differences, including energy usage, muscle types, carbohydrate utilisation, and the exciting progress in understanding female physiology.

Do not fear carbs! Women’s bodies work much differently than men's in that they use fat more efficiently. They generally need more carbs to help our bodies perform the best.

Estrogen is not a bad thing! Because women have more of it they have lower testosterone than men. Which means that they have ½ the upper body and ¾ of the lower body limit of muscle gaining potential than men. What this translates to is: don’t be afraid of getting ‘bulky’ or looking like a some woke bloke from lifting weights. Cause. It. Just. Ain’t. Happening. (If it is you may well be eating in a calorie surplus, a few nutrition tweaks and you’ll be golden. Not that being in a surplus is bad! Cause that is when you really can build muscle!)

A Women's endurance is better than the mens and they can generally endure longer and sustain higher volume of training with needing less rest. Also recovery is often better than the mens too. (But make sure you are eating enough and sleeping enough!)

But a women's power output is usually generally less due to the fact they have less type 1 muscle fibres. Men generally have more of them because of the more musculature that they have and slightly bigger hearts. This doesn’t mean girls cant be powerful! It can be trained! I’m a big believer in including some real strength range sets in my clients programs to train this.

When we talk about metabolism the only reason women are different is because they are a little bit smaller in their frames and have less overall muscle. Research has shown that women's metabolism varies across their menstrual cycles. During the follicular phase, which begins after menstruation, women tend to have a higher resting metabolic rate and increased reliance on fat as a fuel source. In contrast, during the luteal phase, their metabolic rate decreases, and their bodies rely more on carbohydrates as a source of energy. This fluctuation is driven by hormonal changes that occur throughout the menstrual cycle.

Women are just as strong as men, relatively. The only major difference in performance comes down to size of body, heart and total muscle volume. Your potential relative to your frame and health is limitless ( and not that much different from men of the same size).

The past few decades have witnessed a significant upswing in the study of female physiology. Historically, women were excluded from clinical trials and research studies due to concerns about the potential impact of hormonal fluctuations on study outcomes. This exclusion not only hindered our understanding of women's health but also led to inadequate treatment options tailored to female-specific needs.

Thankfully, there is growing recognition of the importance of studying female physiology in its own right. Researchers are now focusing on how hormones, particularly estrogen and progesterone, influence metabolism, energy usage, and exercise performance. This improved understanding has led to the development of more personalised health recommendations for women, ranging from nutrition to fitness and overall well-being.

It's exciting to see all the research coming out and also to understand the way women's bodies work so we can use that information to tailor their training and nutrition even more to see better result and better quality of life.

Lawrence x