Gaby
Historically, men have outperformed women in competitive sports, such as the Olympic 100-meter dash, while women have excelled in events like shooting and equestrian sports.
A new study published in the journal Frontiers in Physiology reveals that female athletes are rapidly closing the gap with men in ultra-marathon distances and Arctic competitions. Moreover, women may soon surpass men in these endeavors.
Until now, most data on gender differences in physical performance or sports outcomes have been derived from laboratory studies. According to researchers, while these studies have unveiled the essence of physiological mechanisms, they lacked practical significance for the “real world.”
Closer observation of actual sports achievements in extreme sports has revealed a general reduction in the performance gap between men and women.
For instance, the current world record in the marathon for men belongs to the late Kenyan athlete Kelvin Kiptoo, clocking in at 2 hours and 35 seconds. This record was set in Chicago in 2023.
In comparison, the women’s record in this event was set by Ruth Chepngetich, also from Kenya, at 2 hours, 9 minutes, and 56 seconds. This means that only 10 minutes separate this record from the best male performance.
Back in 2002, legendary runner Pam Reed won the Badwater ultramarathon, a grueling 218-kilometer race through Death Valley, California. At that time, Pamela outperformed all her male counterparts, as reported by the Independent.
While traits such as strength, power, and speed are generally more developed in men, recent studies have shown that the difference in sports performance between genders decreases as the distance or duration of the competition increases.
Scientists argue that advancements in technology, such as improved footwear and wind-resistant gear, along with better nutrition, will help narrow the performance gap between women and men in most extreme sports competitions.
Researchers emphasized that women exhibit a higher metabolic rate than men under extreme conditions, which is particularly important for competitions held in extremely cold environments.
According to the latest study, women expended less energy carrying loads compared to men during the Alaska Mountain Wilderness Ski Classic—a remote 200-kilometer Arctic winter expedition without external support.
Researchers referred to the activation of heat production in the female body in response to cold as the “Arctic Shift.” Over the past four decades, the gap in race durations between men and women has decreased by approximately three percent in competitions lasting 6, 72, 144, and 240 hours.
Scientists hope to conduct further research by analyzing plasma, serum, hair, muscle, and fat tissue samples from participants in grueling extreme sports events, such as the Yukon Arctic Ultra (YAU)—the longest and coldest ultramarathon in the world.
“Data obtained from endurance tests conducted in extreme conditions suggest that women may be just as, if not more, metabolically resilient to physical and nutritional stress,” the researchers noted.
