Equality in Training
Should men and women train their body in the same way?
We are in an age where ‘girl power’ and strong business women abound and female athletic performances are rapidly closing the gap on male performance. Should we, therefore, be training males and females the same in the gym environment? Are their goals the same? In many cases ‘Yes!’ Both sexes, generally want to lose body fat and increase muscle tone and definition. Yet there are still physical differences that should be catered for by the modern day personal trainer.
The most obvious difference is that males have broad shoulders and a narrower pelvis, whilst females have a broad pelvis and narrower shoulders. These differences develop during puberty where different sex hormones dominate the growing process during teenage years. The broader female pelvis results in a larger quadriceps angle (q-angle). This is measured as the angle between the patella-tibial tuberosity to the patella-ASIS (anterior superior iliac spine).
It is scientifically documented that females have a larger q-angle than males, averaging 12.7? vs. 10.2? respectively (Brandon; Hertel et al, 2004). This has, in many instances, been postulated as the reason why female athletes suffer a greater number of non-contact anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears than their male counterparts (Arendt and Dick, 1995). However, to single out q-angle as the primary culprit doesn’t really provide a comprehensive explanation. It seems unlikely that nature would evolve the female body in such a way as to develop a biomechanical disadvantage at the knee as a compensation for a wider pelvis to bear children. A thorough review of scientific literature up to 2003 was not able identify any compelling evidence to support the theory that increased q-angle is the primary reason for increased ACL tears in females (Murphy et al, 2003).
However, another study did find that females have an average anterior pelvic tilt of 3.5? compared to males who averaged a smaller 1.5? tilt. They also noted that females tend to have greater pronation of the foot (Hertel et al, 2004). Both of these anatomical indicators were found to be significant factors in the occurrence of ACL rupture. It was noted that increased anterior tilt of the pelvis and pronation of the foot increased the likelihood of ACL injuries in both genders, not just in females. However, the frequency with which these factors combined was found to be more common in females than males. This offers a plausible explanation as to why females experience a higher number of non-contact ACL injuries.
Increased anterior pelvic tilt and pronation of the foot in females may result from the wearing of high heeled shoes which increase the likelihood of adaptive shortening of the calf musculature. Similarly, pregnancy can also increase anterior tilt by reducing the efficiency of the inner unit muscles. Whatever the cause, anterior pelvic tilt and pronation of the foot combine to create greater internal rotation of the knee and increase the probability of larger q-angles. As a result, women rely less on the quadriceps, and more on ligaments to decelerate movements at the knee during running, jumping, twisting and turning (
So how does this information provide us with a sensible training platform for female exercisers? Increased pronation is associated with a hypertonic calf complex and a lack of dorsiflexion at the ankle. This is likely paired with a hypertonic iliopsoas on the same side, which plays a role in creating the anterior pelvic tilt. The over active calf and iliopsoas have adapted to produce greater force at an earlier point in time during walking or gait. This may be a compensation for gluteals that have become reduced in activity and no longer provide enough support throughout the kinetic chain. The bottom line is females who present with these postural deviations need to be performing exercises that encourage the gluteals and quadriceps to fire more effectively with some added flexibility work to increase dorsiflexion and hip extension!
Article by Ben Pratt
Personal Trainer and Fitness Instructor
Follow on Twitter: www.twitter.com/beccadouglas
Refrences:
www.pponline.co.uk, Raphael Brandon, Peak Performance, The knees of female athletes are very vulnerable to injury, especially ACL tears. Here’s what to do about it.
Hertel et al. (2004), Lower extremity malalignments and anterior cruciate ligament injury history. Journal of Sports Science and Medicine 3, 220-225
Arendt, E A and Dick, R. (1995), Knee injury patterns among men and women in collegiate basketball and soccer: NCAA data and review of literature. American Journal of Sports Medicine 23, 694-701.
Murphy et al. (2003), Risk factors for lower extremity injury: a review of the literature. British Journal of Sports Medicine 37, 13-29.
