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Sanchez BN, Volek JS, Kraemer WJ, Saenz C, Maresh CM. Sex Differences in Energy Metabolism: A Female-Oriented Discussion. Sports Med 2024:10.1007/s40279-024-02063-8. [PMID: 38888855 DOI: 10.1007/s40279-024-02063-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
The purpose of this review is to delineate aspects of energy metabolism at rest and during exercise that may be subject to sex differences and the potential underlying mechanisms involved. It focuses on distinct aspects of female physiology with an oriented discussion following the reproductive life stages of healthy, eumenorrheic females, including premenopausal time frames, pregnancy, perimenopause, and menopause. Finally, this review aims to address methodological challenges surrounding sexual dimorphism in energy metabolism investigations and confounding factors in this field. During resting conditions, females tend to have higher rates of non-oxidative free fatty acid clearance, which could contribute to lower respiratory exchange ratio measures. At the same time, carbohydrate energy metabolism findings are mixed. In general, females favor lipid energy metabolism during moderate-intensity exercise, while men favor carbohydrate energy metabolism. Factors such as age, dietary intake, genetics, and methodological decisions confound study findings, including properly identifying and reporting the menstrual cycle phase when female subjects are eumenorrheic. Pregnancy presents a unique shift in physiological systems, including energy metabolism, which can be observed at rest and during exercise. Changes in body composition and hormonal levels during the post-menopausal period directly impact energy metabolism, specifically lipid metabolism. This change in physiological state factors into the evidence showing a reduction in our understanding of sex differences in lipid metabolism during exercise in older adults. This review reveals a need for a focused understanding of female energy metabolism that could help exercise and nutrition professionals optimize female health and performance across the lifespan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara N Sanchez
- Exercise Science, Department of Health Sciences, College of Education, Nursing and Health Professions, University of Hartford, 200 Bloomfield Avenue, West Hartford, CT, USA.
| | - Jeff S Volek
- Exercise Science, Department of Human Sciences, College of Education and Human Ecology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - William J Kraemer
- Exercise Science, Department of Human Sciences, College of Education and Human Ecology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Catherine Saenz
- Exercise Science, Department of Human Sciences, College of Education and Human Ecology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Carl M Maresh
- Exercise Science, Department of Human Sciences, College of Education and Human Ecology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
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Matsuda T, Takahashi H, Nakamura M, Kanno M, Ogata H, Ishikawa A, Yamada M, Kamemoto K, Sakamaki-Sunaga M. Influence of menstrual cycle on muscle glycogen utilization during high-intensity intermittent exercise until exhaustion in healthy women. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab 2022; 47:671-680. [PMID: 35856390 DOI: 10.1139/apnm-2021-0532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The present study investigated the effects of the menstrual cycle on muscle glycogen and circulating substrates during high-intensity intermittent exercise until exhaustion in healthy women who habitually exercised. In total, 11 women with regular menstrual cycles completed three tests, which comprised the early follicular phase (E-FP), late follicular phase (L-FP), and luteal phase (LP) of the menstrual cycle. High-intensity intermittent exercise until exhaustion was performed on each test day. Evaluation of muscle glycogen concentration by 13C-magnetic resonance spectroscopy and measurement of estradiol, progesterone, blood glucose, lactate, free fatty acids (FFA), and insulin concentrations were conducted before exercise (Pre) and immediately after exercise (Post). Muscle glycogen concentrations from thigh muscles at Pre and Post were not significantly different between menstrual cycle phases (P = 0.57). Muscle glycogen decreases by exercise were significantly greater in L-FP (59.0 ± 12.4 mM) than in E-FP (48.3 ± 14.4 mM, P < 0.05). Nonetheless, blood glucose, blood lactate, serum FFA, serum insulin concentrations, and exercise time until exhaustion in E-FP, L-FP, and LP were similar. The study results suggest that although exercise time does not change according to the menstrual cycle, the menstrual cycle influences muscle glycogen utilization during high-intensity intermittent exercise until exhaustion in women with habitual exercise activity. Novelty: This study compared changes in muscle glycogen concentration across the menstrual cycle during high-intensity intermittent exercise until exhaustion using 13C-magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Our results highlight the influence of the menstrual cycle on muscle glycogen during high-intensity intermittent exercise in healthy women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomoka Matsuda
- Graduate School of Health and Sport Science, Nippon Sport Science University, Tokyo, Japan.,Research Fellow of Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hideyuki Takahashi
- Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Mariko Nakamura
- Department of Sport Science, Japan Institute of Sports Sciences, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Moe Kanno
- Graduate School of Health and Sport Science, Nippon Sport Science University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hazuki Ogata
- Department of Exercise Physiology, Nippon Sport Science University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Akira Ishikawa
- Graduate School of Health and Sport Science, Nippon Sport Science University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Mizuki Yamada
- Department of Exercise Physiology, Nippon Sport Science University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kayoko Kamemoto
- Waseda Institute for Sport Sciences, Waseda University, Saitama, Japan
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Boisseau N, Isacco L. Substrate metabolism during exercise: sexual dimorphism and women's specificities. Eur J Sport Sci 2021; 22:672-683. [PMID: 34134602 DOI: 10.1080/17461391.2021.1943713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this review is to discuss sexual dimorphism of energy metabolism, and to describe the impact of women's hormonal status on substrate oxidation during exercise. Many evidences indicate that sex steroids play a pivotal role in the sex-related differences of body composition and energy substrate storage. Compared with men, women rely more on fat and less on carbohydrates at the same relative exercise intensity. Scientific data suggest that 17-β oestradiol is a key hormone for the regulation of body composition and substrate metabolism. However, in women, measurements with stable isotopic tracers did not highlight any difference in whole-body substrate oxidation rates between the follicular and luteal phases of the menstrual cycle during endurance exercise. The remaining discrepancies about the effect of menstrual cycle-related hormone fluctuations on substrate oxidation could be partly explained by the exercise intensity, which is an important regulator of substrate oxidation. Due to their specific nature and concentration, the synthetic ovarian hormones contained in oral contraceptives also influence substrate metabolism during endurance exercise. However, more studies are needed to confirm that oral contraceptives increase lipolytic activity during endurance exercise without any substantial (or detectable) effect on substrate utilization. Pregnancy and menopause also modify body composition and substrate utilization during exercise through specific hormonal fluctuations.This review highlights that the hormonal status is likely to affect substrate oxidation during exercise in women emphasizing the need to take it into consideration to optimize their health and performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathalie Boisseau
- Laboratory of Metabolic Adaptations to Exercise under Physiological and Pathological conditions (AME2P), University Clermont Auvergne (UCA), EA 3533, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Laurie Isacco
- Laboratory of Metabolic Adaptations to Exercise under Physiological and Pathological conditions (AME2P), University Clermont Auvergne (UCA), EA 3533, Clermont-Ferrand, France.,EA3920 Prognostic Markers and Regulatory Factors of Cardiovascular Diseases and Exercise Performance Health Innovation (EPSI) platform, Univ. Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Besançon, France
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Romero-Parra N, Cupeiro R, Alfaro-Magallanes VM, Rael B, Rubio-Arias JÁ, Peinado AB, Benito PJ. Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage During the Menstrual Cycle: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. J Strength Cond Res 2021; 35:549-561. [PMID: 33201156 DOI: 10.1519/jsc.0000000000003878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Romero-Parra, N, Cupeiro, R, Alfaro-Magallanes, VM, Rael, B, Rubio-Arias, JA, Peinado, AB, and Benito, PJ, IronFEMME Study Group. Exercise-induced muscle damage during the menstrual cycle: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Strength Cond Res 35(2): 549-561, 2021-A strenuous bout of exercise could trigger damage of muscle tissue, and it is not clear how sex hormone fluctuations occurring during the menstrual cycle (MC) affect this response. The aims of this study were to systematically search and assess studies that have evaluated exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD) in eumenorrheic women over the MC and to perform a meta-analysis to quantify which MC phases display the muscle damage response. The guidelines of the Preferred Reported Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis were followed. A total of 19 articles were analyzed in the quantitative synthesis. Included studies examined EIMD in at least one phase of the following MC phases: early follicular phase (EFP), late follicular phase (LFP), or midluteal phase (MLP). The meta-analysis demonstrated differences between MC phases for delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and strength loss (p < 0.05), whereas no differences were observed between MC phases for creatine kinase. The maximum mean differences between pre-excercise and post-exercise for DOMS were EFP: 6.57 (4.42, 8.71), LFP: 5.37 (2.10, 8.63), and MLP: 3.08 (2.22, 3.95), whereas for strength loss were EFP: -3.46 (-4.95, -1.98), LFP: -1.63 (-2.36, -0.89), and MLP: -0.72 (-1.07, -0.36) (p < 0.001). In conclusion, this meta-analysis suggests that hormone fluctuations throughout the MC affect EIMD in terms of DOMS and strength loss. Lower training loads or longer recovery periods could be considered in the EFP, when sex hormone concentrations are lower and women may be more vulnerable to muscle damage, whereas strength conditioning loads could be enhanced in the MLP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nuria Romero-Parra
- LFE Research Group, Department of Health and Human Performance, Faculty of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences, Polytechnic University of Madrid (UPM), Madrid, Spain
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Elhusseini R, Fares EJ, Obeid O. Phosphorus supplementation raised the heart rate of male water polo players during a randomised graded dryland exercise test. BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med 2020; 6:e000714. [PMID: 32405431 PMCID: PMC7202719 DOI: 10.1136/bmjsem-2019-000714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
ObjectiveThe impact of phosphorus supplementation on athletic performance is unclear. Ingestion of phosphorus for several days has been reported to increase cardiac capacity, improve oxygen muscle kinetics and enhance lactate buffering capacity. Recent studies have shown that phosphorus ingestion with a meal increases postprandial glucose uptake and thermogenesis. The present study aimed to assess the effect of acute phosphorus ingestion with a meal on specific workload parameters.MethodsA double-blind, crossover trial of 12 male water polo players between 18 and 22 years old was conducted. Overnight fasted subjects were asked to cycle for 20 min before ingesting 100 g of glucose with phosphorus or placebo (400 mg). Three hours later, they were asked to perform a graded cycling exercise for 25 min.ResultsExpenditure, respiratory quotient, perception of fatigue and exercise efficiency were similar between treatments. However, heart rate was significantly higher in the phosphorus group (142±10 beats/min) compared with placebo (135±10 beats/min).ConclusionExercise performance 3 hours after the coingestion of glucose with phosphorus did not affect substrate use, while heart rate was increased. The heart rate increase could be attributed to a rise in core body temperature.Trial registration numberNCT03101215.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rami Elhusseini
- Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Elie-Jacques Fares
- Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Omar Obeid
- Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
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Della Torre S, Mitro N, Meda C, Lolli F, Pedretti S, Barcella M, Ottobrini L, Metzger D, Caruso D, Maggi A. Short-Term Fasting Reveals Amino Acid Metabolism as a Major Sex-Discriminating Factor in the Liver. Cell Metab 2018; 28:256-267.e5. [PMID: 29909969 PMCID: PMC6084280 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2018.05.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2017] [Revised: 01/15/2018] [Accepted: 05/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Sex impacts on liver physiology with severe consequences for energy metabolism and response to xenobiotic, hepatic, and extra-hepatic diseases. The comprehension of the biology subtending sex-related hepatic differences is therefore very relevant in the medical, pharmacological, and dietary perspective. The extensive application of metabolomics paired to transcriptomics here shows that, in the case of short-term fasting, the decision to maintain lipid synthesis using amino acids (aa) as a source of fuel is the key discriminant for the hepatic metabolism of male and female mice. Pharmacological and genetic interventions indicate that the hepatic estrogen receptor (ERα) has a key role in this sex-related strategy that is primed around birth by the aromatase-dependent conversion of testosterone into estradiol. This energy partition strategy, possibly the result of an evolutionary pressure enabling mammals to tailor their reproductive capacities to nutritional status, is most important to direct future sex-specific dietary and medical interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Della Torre
- Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Milan, Milan, Italy; Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Via Balzaretti 9, Milan 20133, Italy
| | - Nico Mitro
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Via Balzaretti 9, Milan 20133, Italy
| | - Clara Meda
- Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Milan, Milan, Italy; Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Via Balzaretti 9, Milan 20133, Italy
| | - Federica Lolli
- Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Milan, Milan, Italy; Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Via Balzaretti 9, Milan 20133, Italy
| | - Silvia Pedretti
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Via Balzaretti 9, Milan 20133, Italy
| | - Matteo Barcella
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Luisa Ottobrini
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Daniel Metzger
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, INSERM U964/CNRS UMR 7104, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Donatella Caruso
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Via Balzaretti 9, Milan 20133, Italy
| | - Adriana Maggi
- Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Milan, Milan, Italy; Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Via Balzaretti 9, Milan 20133, Italy.
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Price TB, Sanders K. Muscle and liver glycogen utilization during prolonged lift and carry exercise: male and female responses. Physiol Rep 2017; 5:e13113. [PMID: 28242815 PMCID: PMC5328765 DOI: 10.14814/phy2.13113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2016] [Revised: 12/02/2016] [Accepted: 12/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
This study examined the use of carbohydrates by men and women during lift/carry exercise. Effects of menstrual cycle variation were examined in women. Twenty-five subjects (15 M, 10 F) were studied; age 25 ± 2y M, 26 ± 3y F, weight 85 ± 3 kg* M, 63 ± 3 kg F, and height 181 ± 2 cm* M, 161 ± 2 cm F (* P < 0.0001). During exercise subjects squatted to floor level and lifted a 30 kg box, carried it 3 m, and placed it on a shelf 132 cm high 3X/min over a 3-hour period (540 lifts) or until they could not continue. Males were studied in a single session, females were studied on separate occasions (during the luteal (L) and follicular (F) menstrual phases). The protocol was identical for both sexes and on both occasions in the female group. Glycogen utilization was tracked with natural abundance C-13 NMR of quadriceps femoris and biceps brachialis muscles, and in the liver at rest and throughout the exercise period. Males completed more of the 180 min protocol than females [166 ± 9 min M, 112 ± 16 min* F (L), 88 ± 16 min** F (F) (*P = 0.0036, **P < 0.0001)]. Quadriceps glycogen depletion was similar between sexes and within females in L/F phases [4.7 ± 0.8 mmol/L-h M, 4.5 ± 2.4 mmol/L-h F (L), 10.3 ± 3.5 mmol/L-h F (F)]. Biceps glycogen depletion was greater in females [2.7 ± 0.9 mmol/L-h M, 10.3 ± 1.3 mmol/L-h* F (L), 16.8 ± 4.8 mmol/L-h** F (F) (* P = 0.0004, ** P = 0.0122)]. Resting glycogen levels were higher in females during the follicular phase (P = 0.0077). Liver glycogen depletion increased during exercise, but was not significant. We conclude that with non-normalized lift/carry exercise: (1) Based on their smaller size, women are less capable of completing and work their upper body harder than men. (2) Women and men work their lower body at similar levels. (3) Women store more quadriceps carbohydrate during the follicular phase. (4) The liver is not significantly challenged by this protocol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas B Price
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
- School of Arts and Sciences, University of Bridgeport, Bridgeport, Connecticut
| | - Kimberly Sanders
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
- School of Naturopathic Medicine, University of Bridgeport, Bridgeport, Connecticut
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