Sex Differences in the Physiological Responses’ of Elite Collegiate Hockey Players during a Submaximal Test

Abstract

To optimize the health and sport performance in athletes, sport scientists have recently turned to monitoring physiological variables and markers of performance. Currently, preferred types of monitoring have not been identified and past research has shown that males and females might react differently to physiological stress. PURPOSE: To compare the physiological response of male and female elite collegiate hockey players after a 4-minute submaximal cycling test performed at a predicted 75% of VO2max. METHODS: 52 elite Canadian collegiate hockey players, 28 males (age = 22.6±1.3, height =182.59 ±6.00 cm, weight = 87.12±6.43 kg, body fat = 17.3±4.28%) and 24 females (age = 19.9±1.3, height =166.97 ±7.20 cm, weight = 67.75±8.10kg, body fat = 26.3±4.68%) participated in a 4-minute submaximal cycling test at a predicted 75% of VO2max. Heart rate (HR) and rate of perceived exertion (RPE) were assessed during each stage and after the submaximal test, while blood lactate level was measured 2 minutes after the test. ANOVA was used to compare sex differences in HR, RPE and post exercise blood lactate. SUMMARY OF RESULTS: Females had higher heart rates at each stage of the exercise test: time 1 (F(1,51) = 5.914, p ≤ .05), time 2 (F(1,51) = 14.457, p ≤ .05), time 3 (F(1,51) = 15.299, p ≤ .05) and time 4 (F(1,51) = 14.628, p ≤ .05). There were no between sex differences in post exercise blood lactate and RPE at any stage of the exercise test. CONCLUSION: Under similar physiological stress, male and female athletes demonstrate similar post exercise blood lactate levels. However, submaximal heart rates at each stage of the submaximal test were higher among the female athletes. More work is needed to understand cardio-metabolic sex differences, which could help sport scientists better tailor training program for elite female athletes. This novel method of testing may be suitable for tracking physical fitness over the course of a playing season for male and female athletes.