![]() Because females are generally smaller than males (i.e. To gain muscle mass one needs to be eating MORE than maintenance-level calories. Role of Diet in Gaining Muscleĭiet is an important component of gaining muscle mass. Therefore, it has been suggested that other anabolic hormones, such as GH may be responsible for hypertrophy in females (Kraemer & Ratamess, 2005). Yet, because females have less free testosterone than males at rest, any increase is not significant enough to allow for muscle hypertrophy to the extent of a male. However, free testosterone HAS been shown to be elevated up to 25% in females after resistance training (Nindl, Kraemer, Gotshalk, & Marx, et al., 2001). Studies have shown that resistance training acutely increases total testosterone in males (Hakkinen & Pakarinen, 1995) whereas there is NO change in females. Resistance Training and Hormonal Adaptations Therefore, despite the potential for muscle hypertrophy in a relatively short period of time (Gregory, et al., 2006), similar percentage increases in either muscle mass or volume as a result of resistance training, results in smaller total overall gains in CSA and ACSA in females than in males (Folland & Williams, 2007). However, females have ~60-80% of the muscle cross-sectional area (CSA) and whole muscle anatomical cross-sectional area (ACSA) than that of males. There is a similar distribution of the percentage of Type I, Type IIa, and Type IIb muscle fibers in both males and females. b) Cortisol, which reduces muscle mass (Hakkinen, 1989).a) SHBG, which decreases the amount of free testosterone in the body.Whilst estrogen may increase growth hormone (GH), it also increases, The female ‘equivalent’ of testosterone is estrogen (Marieb, 2004). In males 0.3-5% (with an average of 2%) of their total testosterone if free, with their free testosterone normal values being 270-1100 ng/dl, compared to only 6-86 ng/dl of free testosterone available to females. the amount of testosterone that is NOT bound in the body). However, it is not so much the total amount of testosterone that an individual has that determines their potential/ability for muscle growth, since most of the testosterone in the body is bound to either sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) or other non-specific proteins such as albumin (Wheeler, 1995), but their levels of FREE testosterone (i.e. Males have much HIGHER levels of testosterone than females, with the ‘normal’ range of total testosterone (in the bloodstream) being 0.95-4.3 pg/dl, compared to the 0.7-3.6 pg/dl of females. Both males and females produce testosterone, as it is necessary for hormonal balance and body function (Marieb, 2004). ![]() excess hair - especially facial, deepening of voice, increase in muscle mass). It is testosterone that is responsible for masculine traits (i.e. Testosterone is one of the androgenic hormones responsible for anabolism in the body (Kraemer & Ratamess). The primary reason that females cannot gain muscle mass as fast or to the extent as males is the difference in hormone status. While males and females are structurally similar, there are many physiological differences that affect the sexes’ ability to gain muscle mass. This article will discuss and compare the physiology, the hormonal adaptations to resistance training, and the role of diet in gaining muscle, in both males and females. This is simply NOT the reality when it comes to females and resistance training. Many people, males included, have come to believe that for a female to lift weights means that she will somehow transform into the stereotype image of the female bodybuilder. “I don’t want to do that, because I don’t want to look like a man.” b) Increase the weight that they are lifting.You hear it time and again from females in and out of the gym, when it is suggested to them that they either:
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