Abstract
This 2023 study by Del Cuerpo et al., published in Nutrients, investigated sex-based differences in metabolic response during resistance exercise. Testing 29 healthy young adults using two different squat protocols, the study found that males exhibit significantly higher energy expenditure (EE) than females, regardless of intensity or volume, primarily due to higher muscle mass and BMI.
Metabolic responses to the same relative workload differ significantly between sexes. The findings suggest that trainers and practitioners must account for these biological differences when designing nutrition and training plans for male and female athletes.