Study: Women Are More Fit Than Men

It’s official: women are more fit than men, at least by one important measure. Researchers at the University of Waterloo measured the rate of oxygen uptake and muscle oxygen extraction, two important indicators of aerobic fitness, in both men and women, and found that yes, women can process oxygen more quickly than men when they start to exercise. A University of Waterloo news release reports that the study, which compared oxygen uptake and muscle oxygen extraction between 18 young men and women of similar age and weight during treadmill exercise, revealed that women consistently outperformed men with around 30 per cent faster oxygen handling throughout the body. That faster oxygen processing means that women are less likely than men to accumulate molecules linked with muscle fatigue, effort perception and poor athletic performance. End of argument.