Why is it that my muscles don't develop as much as a man's, even if I do the exact same workout?

--wondrwmnk

Hormones, Wondrwmnk. Women have a smaller supply of the hormones that affect our ability to grow and develop muscles. That's why in any population (with the exception of the world Xena inhabits), men tend to be taller and more muscular than women. That's why when women tell me they're afraid of becoming "too muscular," I tell them not to worry; it's not really an issue. Even men only have so much of these hormones. That's why we see certain male and female athletes trying to gain an unfair advantage in sports through the use of hormones like steroids.

I read about a study done with tennis players of both sexes a few years ago, which found that all champions at various levels of competition -- junior, collegiate and professional -- were found to have higher levels of the "male" hormone testosterone naturally present in their systems. This might explain how a great champion like Martina Navratilova was able to achieve the superior level of conditioning which helped her dominate the women's tennis tour when she did. She took no short cuts and used no drugs, but she might have benefited from having a naturally higher level of testosterone that would enable her to handle the volume of work necessary to maintain her strength and speed. Her success raised the standard for conditioning for all women players, and before you knew it everybody was working out to get stronger and fitter.

Women gain some advantages in certain sports from not being as big or muscular as men, as well as from having a higher percentage of body fat. Lighter bones, smaller muscles and higher fat ratios make women more suitable for swimming, where buoyancy is an issue. More body fat means more fuel to burn in endurance pursuits like running, cycling, swimming and hiking. Smaller tendons and ligaments along with less bulky muscles allow for greater potential for flexibility. This is a favorable situation for pursuits like gymnastics and rock climbing where flexibility is at a premium.

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