Although there is a plethora of information available regarding the impact of nutrition on exercise performance, many recommendations are based on male needs due to the dominance of male participation in the nutrition and exercise science literature. Female participation in sport and exercise is prevalent, making it vital for guidelines to address the sex-specific nutritional needs. Female hormonal levels, such as estrogen and progesterone, fluctuate throughout the mensural cycle and lifecycle requiring more attention for effective nutritional considerations. Sex-specific nutritional recommendations and guidelines for the active female and female athlete have been lacking to date and warrant further consideration. This review provides a practical overview of key physiological and nutritional considerations for the active female. Available literature regarding sex-specific nutrition and dietary supplement guidelines for women has been synthesized, offering evidenced-based practical information that can be incorporated into the daily lives of women to improve performance, body composition, and overall health.

Objective. Muscle quality has received considerable attention within the literature due to its influence on health and performance. However, it has been assessed by various measures (e.g. ultrasound imaging, normalized strength), contributing to a lack of a consensus definition. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between common muscle quality measures: vastus lateralis echo intensity (EI) and peak torque (PT) and power (PP) normalized to thigh lean mass (TLM) and thigh fat mass (TFM). Approach. Participants’ (n = 39; age = 32.7 ± 8.2 years; %BF = 24.1% ±8.1%) whole body and leg composition was assessed via dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry and custom thigh analyses. Subcutaneous fat-corrected muscle EI was assessed via ultrasonography. Maximal PT and PP of the dominant leg extensors were examined on a calibrated dynamometer and were normalized to both TLM and TFM, respectively. Pearson product-moment correlations were used to examine the associations between EI and PT/TLM, PT/TFM, PP/TLM, and PP/TFM. Main results. Greater muscle EI was significantly related with lower PT/TFM and PP/TFM (r = −0.74 to −0.70, P < 0.001), but unrelated to PT/TLM or PP/TLM (P ≥ 0.205). Significance. These findings suggest that ultrasound imaging (muscle EI) and normalized strength and power may not be used interchangeably to define muscle quality, and muscle EI may be more sensitive to the adiposity of the limb than TLM. Future research should consider using separate and consistent definitions when referring to imaging-derived or normalized strength and power values of muscle quality.

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