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Sports Medicine
Published in: Sports Medicine 12/2019

01-12-2019 | Systematic Review

Sex Dimorphism of VO2max Trainability: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Authors: Candela Diaz-Canestro, David Montero

Published in: Sports Medicine | Issue 12/2019

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Abstract

Background

Increases in maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) are strongly associated with improved cardiovascular health.

Objective

The aim was to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine whether VO2max responses to endurance training (ET), the most effective intervention to improve VO2max, are influenced by sex.

Methods

We conducted a systematic search of MEDLINE and Web of Science since their inceptions until February 2019 for articles assessing the VO2max response to a given sex-matched dose of ET in healthy age-matched men and women. Meta-analyses were performed to determine the mean difference between VO2max responses in men versus women. Subgroup and meta-regression analyses were used to assess potential moderating factors.

Results

After systematic review, eight studies met the inclusion criteria. All studies implemented common modalities of ET in healthy untrained individuals, comprising a total of 175 men and women (90 ♂, 85 ♀). ET duration and intensity were sex-matched in all studies. After data pooling, ET induced substantially larger increases in absolute VO2max in men compared with women (mean difference = + 191 ml·min−1, 95% CI 99, 283; P < 0.001). A greater effect of ET on relative VO2max was also observed in men versus women (mean difference = + 1.95 ml·min−1·kg−1, 95% CI 0.76, 3.15; P = 0.001). No heterogeneity was detected among studies (I2 = 0%, P ≥ 0.59); the meta-analytical results were robust to potential moderating factors.

Conclusion

Pooled evidence demonstrates greater improvements in VO2max in healthy men compared with women in response to a given dose of ET, suggesting the presence of sexual dimorphism in the trainability of aerobic capacity.
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Metadata
Title
Sex Dimorphism of VO2max Trainability: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors
Candela Diaz-Canestro
David Montero
Publication date
01-12-2019
Publisher
Springer International Publishing
Published in
Sports Medicine / Issue 12/2019
Print ISSN: 0112-1642
Electronic ISSN: 1179-2035
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-019-01180-z

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