Do Sex Differences Exist in Critical Power and W’?

Authors

Jessica J. Linde, Brigham Young UniversityFollow
Jessica Collins
Olivia Leach
Megan Sherman
Kiese Mpongo
Jaron Quirante
Jayson R. Gifford, Brigham Young UniversityFollow

Abstract

Among world-class athletes, biological males tend to be faster and stronger than biological females, in part due to differences in body composition, such as lower body fat percentage and increased muscle mass. Critical power (CP) represents the highest intensity that elicits compensable and sustainable disturbances to homeostasis, while W’ is the amount of work and its associated metabolic disturbance that can be tolerated above CP. Together, CP and W’ strongly influence endurance performance. PURPOSE: To determine if sex-based differences in CP and W’ exist when normalizing for lean muscle mass. METHODS: We recruited 20 non-endurance trained individuals (10 female and 10 male, age= ~25.7yrs). VO₂max was first determined through a graded exercise test on a cycle ergometer. The subjects then performed time to task failure tests at different percentages of their maximum work rate. CP and W’ were determined by linear regression of the relationship between time and work for the various tests to task failure. RESULTS: Leg lean mass was approximately 37% less in females than males (pAbsolute W’ was approximately 64% less in females than males (p

Recommended Citation

Linde, Jessica J.; Collins, Jessica; Leach, Olivia; Sherman, Megan; Mpongo, Kiese; Quirante, Jaron; and Gifford, Jayson R. (2021) "Do Sex Differences Exist in Critical Power and W’?," International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings: Vol. 14: Iss. 1, Article 85.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/ijesab/vol14/iss1/85