Yasuda, N., Ruby, B. C., & Gaskill, S. E. (2002). Gender differences in substrate utilization during arm and leg exercise relative to ventilatory threshold. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 34(5), Supplement abstract 1596.

This study determined the variations in substrate utilization between men and women during incremental arm cranking and leg cycling at 70, 85, 100, and 115% of mode specific ventilatory threshold. Men (N = 12) and women (N = 10) with similar values for %VO2peak at ventilatory threshold served as Ss. Ss performed five minutes of exercise at each intensity in both arm and leg exercises

Carbohydrate utilization was significantly higher in men for both arm and leg work than for women. It was also significantly higher at each level of percent ventilatory threshold. Women displayed larger fat utilization during arm work than during leg work.

Implication. Women use fat more to fuel aerobic exercise than do men. This might be one reason why women do not respond to carbohydrate loading as much as men do.

Return to Table of Contents for this issue.