Women and sport. Gender-specific differences

Due to special constitutional anthropomorphic features with less muscular development and higher body fat content, the capability of women in athletic sport disciplines is lower compared to men. In addition, women show a general preference for the aesthetic disciplines. In competitive sports women may develop significant disturbances of maturation (delayed puberty and late menarche) and dysfunction of the menstrual cycle (oligomenorrhea or amenorrhea) by high energy consumption while reducing energy intake. The main causes for these serious disorders are reduction of the available energy of < 30 kcal/kg lean body mass and chronicmental and physical stress. The long-term effects of such disorders are infertility, osteopenia, osteoporosis, stress fractures and scoliosis, as well as depression. The general recreational regeneration promoting women's sport of 3.5-4 h per week not only reduces coronary heart disease and stroke incidence but also provides a biological malignancy protection with reduction of breast cancer by more than 15%.