Men Exhibit Greater Pain Pressure Thresholds and Times to Task Failure but Not Performance Fatigability Following Self-Paced Exercise

Abstract

The purpose of the current study was to determine if, and to what extent, sex differences in performance fatigability after a sustained, bilateral leg extension, anchored to a moderate rating of perceived exertion (RPE), could be attributed to muscle size, muscular strength, or pain pressure threshold (PPT) in young, healthy adults. Thirty adults (men: n = 15, women: n = 15) volunteered to complete a sustained leg extension task anchored to RPE = 5 (10-point OMNI scale) as well as pretest and posttest maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) trials. The fatigue-induced decline in MVIC force was defined as performance fatigability. We used muscle cross-sectional area (mCSA) to quantify muscle size and a dolorimeter to assess PPT. The sustained task induced fatigue such that both men and women exhibited significant ( p < 0.05) decreases in MVIC force from pretest to posttest ( M = 113.3, SD =24.2 kg vs. M = 98.3, SD = 23.1 kg and M = 73.1, SD =14.5 kg vs. M = 64.1, SD = 16.2 kg, respectively), with no significant sex differences in performance fatigability (grand M = 12.6, SD =10.6%). Men, however, exhibited significantly ( p < 0.05) longer time to task failure (TTF) than women ( M = 166.1, SD =83.0 seconds vs. M = 94.6, SD =41.7) as well as greater PPT ( M = 5.9, SD = 2.2 kg vs. M = 3.4, SD =1.1 kg). The only significant predictor of performance fatigability was PPT. In conclusion, differences in PPT, at least in part, mediate variations in TTF during self-paced exercise anchored to a specific RPE and resulting in performance fatigability.

Sex differences in muscle excitation and oxygenation, but not in force fluctuations or active hyperemia resulting from a fatiguing, bilateral isometric task

“…The current convenience sample was the complete participant pool of a large data collection initiative with numerous, discrete purposes such as examining the influence of various intensities/loads, the effect of different anchoring strategies (ratings of perceived exertion versus % of MVIC), and perceptual factors (pain pressure threshold) to symptoms of fatigue. We have previously published findings (Keller et al 2020, Garrett et al 2021, Noboa et al 2021 utilizing these participants, but we confirm there is no overlap in the data presented here except for the participant characteristics. Accordingly, 30 healthy, recreationally-active (as defined by the American College of Sports Medicine) college-aged males (n = 15: age = 21.1±1.8 years [mean±SD], 19-25 years [range]; body mass = 83.9±10.8 kg, 68-110.7 kg) and females (n = 15: age = 19.5±0.8 years, 19-21 years; body mass = 64.0±7.9 kg, 52.2-81.6 kg) who regularly engaged in 1-5 h of moderate, physical activity across 2-4 d•wk −1 participated in this study.…”

“…The investigation of sex differences in the magnitude of exercise-induced fatigue and the mechanisms underlying its development continues to garner significant interest under a wide variety of experimental conditions (Hunter 2016, Ansdell et al 2017, 2019, Inglis and Gabriel 2020, Kavanagh et al 2020, Parra et al 2020, Anders et al 2021b, Garrett et al 2021, Noboa et al 2021. The magnitude of exercise-induced fatigue has been termed performance fatigability, which was originally defined as, 'Kthe magnitude or rate of changes in performance criterion relative to a reference value over a given time of task performance or measure of mechanical output,' (Kluger et al 2013).…”

Lean Mass is Associated with, but Does Not Mediate Sex Differences in Pressure Pain Sensitivity in Healthy Adults

“…Our finding that males exhibit a higher pressure pain threshold than females (indicating less sensitivity) has been demonstrated in a host of previous research on experimentally induced pain. [1][2][3][4][46][47][48] We found large and consistent differences with Cohen's d ranging from 0.87 to 1.20 SDs between males and females in the arm and legs, respectively. Studies examining sex differences in experimental pain, especially older studies, have often lacked sufficient statistical power due to small sample sizes.…”

75‐repetition versus sets to failure of blood flow restriction exercise on indices of muscle damage in women

“…Thirteen participants completed all visits (mean ± SD: 22 ± 3 years, 71.0 ± 14.2 kg, 162.7 ± 4.4 cm). A single‐sex sample was selected for this investigation due to documented differences in pain and PPT responses between males and females (Noboa et al, 2021; Paller et al, 2009; Peterson et al, 2022). Menstrual cycle and pharmaceutical contraceptives were not controlled for during this study due to inconsistent and conflicting evidence regarding the relationship between pain perception and exercise in healthy, pain‐free women (Frankovich & Lebrun, 2000; Iacovides et al, 2015; Romero‐Parra et al, 2021).…”