The Study
Dissimilar perceptual response between trained women and men in resistance training to concentric failure: A quasi-experimental study.
This study watched how 7 guys and 7 girls felt during a tough workout and noticed they reacted differently. But it didn’t randomly assign people, so we can’t say the workout caused the difference — maybe the girls were just more tired or had different habits.
Analysis score
Maximum 44 for a cross-sectional study.
Where the score came from
When people lift weights until they can't do another rep, women tend to feel worse emotionally than men, even though both feel just as tired and sore.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 541 / 100
Quality score
Snapshots of a population at a single point in time, or descriptions of small groups. Can identify correlations and prevalence, but cannot determine cause and effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes — if women feel more negative emotions after intense lifting, they might be less likely to stick with their workouts.
- 2Women: feeling scale dropped significantly (p=0.001).
- 3Men: no change (p>0.680).
- 4Both felt similar levels of effort and discomfort.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Journal of bodywork and movement therapies
Year
2020
Authors
L. Orssatto, F. Diefenthaeler, Monique Vargas, M. Rossato, C. Freitas
Related Content
Claims (3)
When trained women perform resistance exercises to muscle failure, they experience a greater increase in unpleasant, high-energy feelings compared to trained men, who do not show this shift.
After performing resistance training to muscle failure, trained women report a measurable decrease in positive feelings, while trained men do not show a change in their reported feelings.
When trained men and women perform resistance exercises until muscle failure, they report similar levels of effort and discomfort.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.