Sex Differences in Neuromuscular Fatigue and Changes in Cost of Running after Mountain Trail Races of Various Distances

Introduction Women have been shown to experience less neuromuscular fatigue than men in knee extensors (KE) and less peripheral fatigue in plantar flexors (PF) after ultratrail running, but it is unknown if these differences exist for shorter trail running races and whether this may impact running economy. The purpose of this study was to characterize sex differences in fatigability over a range of running distances and to examine possible differences in the postrace alteration of the cost of running (Cr). Methods Eighteen pairs of men and women were matched by performance after completing different races ranging from 40 to 171 km, divided into SHORT versus LONG races (100 km, respectively). Neuromuscular function and Cr were tested before and after each race. Neuromuscular function was evaluated on both KE and PF with voluntary and evoked contractions using electrical nerve (KE and PF) and transcranial magnetic (KE) stimulation. Oxygen uptake, respiratory exchange ratio, and ventilation were measured on a treadmill and used to calculate Cr. Results Compared with men, women displayed a smaller decrease in maximal strength in KE (−36% vs −27%, respectively, P
Source: Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise - Category: Sports Medicine Tags: APPLIED SCIENCES Source Type: research