Esbjornsson, M., Bodin, K., & Jansson, E. (1995). Muscle metabolism during a 30-s sprint test (Wingate Test) in females and males. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 27(5), Supplement abstract 448.

Whether the glycogenolytic rate and alactic ATP turnover rate could explain the sex difference in anaerobic performance, expressed as total power output related to body weight (Wingate Test), was determined. It was found that:

• the glycogenolytic rate in the type II fibers was of similar magnitude in males and females,
• the glycogenolytic rate in the type I fibers was lower in females than males, and
• there was no sex difference for the alactic ATP turnover rate during sprint tests.

The glycogenolytic rate but not the alactic ATP turnover rate may be one factor explaining the lower total power output in females when compared to males.

Implication. This is one feature that accounts for the energy supply and subsequent anaerobic performance difference between females and males. They have a capacity to use ATP that is similar to males, but when glycolytic activity is required, their function is diminished. The interpretation of lactate measures will need to be different to that used for men. Generally, women will record lower lactate levels for features such as anaerobic threshold. When females are expected to do "anaerobic" training, a greater proportion of their response will be aerobic, rather than anaerobic, when compared to the response of males.

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