30 Seconds SummarySex Difference Meta Technical Notes
- Used a specific search query to select studies related to sex differences in strength training, excluding those that mixed methods or dealt with specific populations, resulting in analysis of 61 unique projects.
- Divided the research into four primary categories: direct and indirect measurements of muscle hypertrophy, and strength gains in both upper and lower body.
- Opted for dynamic strength measures over isometric unless isometric was the sole data provided, and generally selected slower contraction speeds to reflect maximal strength.
- Results were weighted by the number of subjects per study to ensure fair representation in the analysis, with careful checks to ensure weighting didn't skew the results significantly.
- Challenged by the differing variability and statistical approaches needed in comparing strength data between men and women, ultimately adopting a simpler statistical analysis using subject-weighted paired-samples t-tests.
- Performed various analyses on strength gains and hypertrophy, with separate focus on different age groups, body areas, and study durations, finding significant sex differences.
- Utilized funnel plots to assess bias and robustness of findings, confirming low risk of bias and a generally solid result even when potentially influential studies were excluded.
