We determined the impact of sex on the magnitude of cardioprotection by local and remote ischemic preconditioning ( IPC and RIPC ) and of ischemic/reperfused peripheral tissue mass on protection by RIPC . Hearts of female and male Lewis rats were excised, perfused with buffer, and underwent either IPC by 3 × 5/5 min global zero‐flow ischemia/reperfusion ( GI /R) or time‐matched perfusion ( TP ) before 30/120 min GI /R. In a second approach, anesthetized female and male Lewis rats underwent RIPC , 3 × 5/5 min ischemia/reperfusion of one or both hindlimbs (1‐ RIPC or 2‐ RIPC ), or placebo. Thirty minutes after the RIPC /placebo protocol, hearts were excised and subjected to GI /R. In female and male hearts, infarct size was less with IPC than with TP before GI /R ( IPC + GI /R female : 12 ± 5%; IPC + GI /R male : 12 ± 7% vs. TP + GI /R female : 33 ± 5%; TP + GI /R male : 37 ± 7%, P < 0.001). With 2‐ RIPC , infarct size was less than with 1‐ RIPC in female and male rat hearts, respectively (2‐ RIPC + GI /R female : 15 ± 5% vs. 1‐ RIPC + GI /R female : 22 ± 7%, P = 0.026 and 2‐ RIPC + GI /R male : 16 ± 5% vs. 1‐ RIPC + GI /R male : 22 ± 8%, P = 0.016). Infarct size after the placebo protocol and GI /R was not different between female and male hearts (36 ± 8% vs. 34 ± 5%). Sex is no determinant of IPC ‐ and RIPC ‐induced cardioprotection in isolated Lewis rat hearts. RIPC ‐induced cardioprotection is greater with greater mass of ischemic/reperfused peripheral tissue.