30 Seconds SummaryStudy Write-up: Sprints are anabolic*, even when fasted! ...but with big gender differences
- The study investigated gender differences in response to sprint exercises and the activation of the mTOR pathway, important for muscle growth.
- Participants, both men and women, performed three Wingate tests (30-second intense sprints on a stationary bike) in a fasted state, with muscle biopsies and blood samples taken at specified intervals.
- Results showed no significant differences in power output or muscle fiber types between genders, suggesting activities were performed at equal intensity and conditions.
- While overall mTOR activation was similar in both genders, the signaling protein p70S6k increased by 230% in women but only 60% in men post-exercise.
- Various metabolic responses differed between genders; women had a larger increase in blood glucose and insulin, and a smaller increase in lactate and decrease in plasma leucine, indicating less metabolic depletion post-exercise compared to men.
- The study suggests that maintaining cellular energy status during workouts, possibly through carbohydrate intake, might enhance anaerobic training's anabolic effects.
- Findings propose that women might be more physiologically adapted for high-intensity, depleting workouts like those common in CrossFit, potentially explaining why CrossFit women show pronounced hypertrophy.
Stronger By Science
Greg Nuckols
