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 In a study published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports &
Exercise, scientists who researched runners in 14 marathons found
that women who tackle the 26.2-mile (42-km) race paced themselves
more evenly than men.
But whether this reflects a difference in nature, nurture or a
combination of the two remains an open question.
"We need to find out why women are pacing differently," said Dr.
Sandra Hunter, professor of exercise science at Marquette University
in Milwaukee. "Is it the physiology, or is it a risk-taking
psychology for the men?"
Hunter is one of several researchers who compared the sex
differences in marathon pacing among 92,000 performances. While the
extent varied, the sex difference in pacing occurred at all 14
marathons studied, the study showed.
Successful distance running requires appropriate and almost even
pacing, so the findings suggest that women are superior to men in
this way, Hunter said.
"The better runners tend not to slow dramatically," she said. "Among
the slower runners, the sex difference widens."
One explanation is that men are naturally more competitive and
risk-taking, going harder and slowing dramatically, Hunter said. But
that theory ignores the physiological differences between the sexes.
"The best women will never outrun the best men," she said.
“Physiological differences explain that men will always be faster:
Women have smaller hearts, more fat to carry, less hemoglobin, less
muscle mass."
Exercise physiologist and running coach Tom Holland tells his
marathoners it is not who goes fastest, it is who slows down the
least.
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Holland, author of “The Marathon Method,” preaches negative splits,
or the strategy of running the second half of the race faster than
the first.
“For the first eight to 10 miles (13-19 km) you have to run at an
intensity that feels almost too easy, but for the average person,
that takes a lot of discipline,” he said, adding he has seen many
men hitting the wall at about mile 20 (32 km).
“As a racer I like to get behind women,” he said, “because
historically they’re more even-paced.”
Hunter believes too much about exercise performance is based on men
alone.
“The assumption is that women respond the same," she said.
"Sometimes they do; sometimes they don’t.”
(Editing by Patricia Reaney and Lisa Von Ahn)
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