Benefits of resistance training for females
- Improved health and reduced injury risk (e.g., osteoporosis prevention)
- Enhanced athletic performance
- Increased lean body mass and strength
- Psychological benefits (e.g., confidence, body image improvements)
Historically, some women avoided resistance training due to social stigmas, but modern research confirms that women respond well to training and achieve substantial benefits.
Sex differences in body composition and performance
Body size and growth:
- Prepubescent boys and girls show minimal differences in height, weight, and body size.
- During puberty, sex-related differences become more evident due to hormonal influences:
- Estrogen in females → Increased fat deposition and breast development.
- Testosterone in males → Increased bone formation, muscle mass, and protein synthesis.
- Men generally have lower body fat, greater bone density, and more muscle mass than women due to these hormonal differences.
Strength and power:
- Absolute strength: Women typically have two-thirds the strength of men due to lower muscle mass.
- Relative strength (adjusted for body weight or fat-free mass): Differences in strength between men and women are greatly reduced.
- Muscle cross-sectional area: No significant sex difference, indicating that muscle quality is sex-independent.
Women tend to have lower neuromuscular power output, particularly in high-velocity activities like sprinting and jumping. However, resistance training can significantly improve power and performance in female athletes.
Resistance training for female athletes
Key principles:
- Women can increase strength at the same rate as men.
- Relative strength gains: Percentage-based (%1RM) strength gains are
similar between sexes. Program differences are primarily due to absolute
loads and individual training goals.
- Neuromuscular efficiency: This may be lower in women, which can require
longer adaptation periods.
- Hypertrophy potential: Women can achieve muscle hypertrophy through
high-volume, high-intensity resistance training, although testosterone levels
influence the degree of hypertrophy.
Female athlete triad
Strength and conditioning professionals should be aware of the female athlete triad, which includes:
- Low energy availability (inadequate caloric intake to meet training demands)
- Menstrual dysfunction (e.g., amenorrhea, absence of menstruation for over 3 months)
- Low bone mineral density (increased risk of osteoporosis and fractures)
These issues are common in athletes with high training volumes and restrictive diets. Proper nutritional guidance and training modifications can help prevent these health risks.
Program design considerations for women
Since male and female muscle physiology is similar, training programs do not need to differ based on sex. The main difference is absolute strength levels, not the muscles’ ability to respond to training.
Key training recommendations:
- Upper-body strength focus: Women tend to have lower absolute upper-body strength than men, so upper-body exercises should be emphasized.
- Multi-joint exercises: Compound lifts like squats, deadlifts, and Olympic lifts improve full-body strength and performance.
- Progressive overload: Gradually increasing resistance is crucial for continued improvement.
Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury risk in female athletes
Female athletes have a higher incidence of ACL injuries, particularly in sports like soccer and basketball. Studies suggest women are six times more likely to sustain an ACL injury than men.
Factors contributing to ACL injuries in females:
- Joint laxity and limb alignment
- Narrower notch dimensions in the knee
- Shoe-surface interaction
- Hormonal fluctuations
- Deficits in neuromuscular control and biomechanics
- Dynamic knee valgus (knees collapsing inward upon landing)
To help reduce the risk of ACL injuries in female athletes, strength and conditioning professionals should implement the following strategies:
- Preparticipation screening: Conduct musculoskeletal evaluations to identify risk factors.
- Year-round conditioning: Include resistance, plyometric, speed, agility, and flexibility training in a structured, periodized program.
- Movement mechanics training: Ensure proper jumping, landing, twisting, and cutting techniques in multiple environments.
- Proper warm-ups: Use both general dynamic warm-ups and sport-specific warm-ups targeting key muscle groups.
- Augmented feedback: Utilize training sessions to improve skill transfer and biomechanics related to ACL injury risk.
- Early intervention: Introduce injury prevention programs, particularly those incorporating progressive resistance training.
- Proper equipment: Recommend appropriate footwear and clothing for practice and competition.
- Neuromuscular training: Exercises that improve balance, agility, and landing mechanics.
- Strength training: Emphasis on quadriceps and hamstring strength to enhance knee stability.
