Flexing Females #4

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Anabolic Steroids in Female Bodybuilding As A Way To Achieve Men's Results

Anabolic Steroids

Performance enhancing drugs have been a part of sports since their origin. Anabolic steroids have been used in numerous strength sports to increase muscular size and strength. Bodybuilding and weightlifting are given an unfair image of  being the biggest consumers of AAS. Statistics show that more steroid use is not coming from professional athletes, rather people who are looking for a fast solution for weight loss. The use and discussion about steroids causes much controversy. There are side effects and health risks that are associated with their consumption. There are a copious amount of myths that are generated surrounding them. Anabolic androgenic steroids also pose a level of  medical and social problems. Women are criticized more harshly for their use of steroids compared to men. Even though men still represent a higher amount of users, when women do it there is ostracism. The social problems are related to sexism particularly with women's body image and appearance. Depending on the dosage, type of drug used, and total amount of time used steroids can cause virilization  in women. Each person can be effected by drugs differently. Some women may not experience any notable changes. Instead of focusing on the health risks, many condemn steroid use in women because they believe it harms destroys  appearance. Most detractors state this on a sexist notion that women exist only to be beautiful and  be objects to men. Despite what people think women will look like whatever they please. Women are subject to multiple myths about their bodies and athletic capabilities. The post from women's bodybuilding has a number of myths. The idea that women cannot gain muscle without chemical assistance is false. The stages of fitness  is not a correct term for the transformation of the human body through weight training. Anabolic androgenic steroids will not make a person superhuman. Women will not  reach male levels of physical fitness capacity simply based on sexual dimorphism, anatomy, and physiology. A female bodybuilder does not need steroids to be successful, rather genetics and training ultimately determine what physique is produced. 

        Anabolic androgenic  steroids  are synthetic derivatives of testosterone. They can either be taken by pill or by hypodermic needle. Anabolic refers to the process of muscular hypertrophy. Androgens are various hormones that are responsible for male characteristics and reproductive function. Steroids have  beneficial medical properties which are used  to prevent muscle loss in patients suffering from cancer or AIDS. Like any other drug it can  be abused. Simply using it does not automatically mean a person is addicted. Basic endocrinology shows that men produce higher levels of testosterone and women produced more estrogen. The reason steroids enhance performance is because testosterone enables a higher level of protein synthesis. This is critical to muscular hypertrophy. There are multiple steroids that can be made from just the manipulation of  testosterone. Some types include anavar, dianabol, winstrol, anadrol, and deca-durabolin. There is little reliable information on how effective these drugs are. Athletes may do either stacking or pyramid. Some users experiment with using different types simultaneously. Stacking is a method of taking various types of AAS. The pyramid method involves adjusting doses at minimal levels,then gradually increasing them in a number of weeks. Drugs do have side effects for both sexes. Long term use has been linked to kidney failure, liver damage, circulatory system conditions, and the risk of blood clots. The sex specific effects can be growth of facial hair, hair loss, deepening of the voice, menstrual irregularities (amenorrhea), and increasing sizeof the clitoris. Breast size reduction has been documented as a side effect, but this could happen without use if a woman is highly active and has low body fat levels. Men are also effected by use with the possible reduction in sperm count, gynecomastia, and damage to the testicles. It is questionable that steroids alter emotions to an extreme. The so called "roid rage " has never been examined seriously. It is also questionable that steroid use causes gastrointestinal issues. These are just the basic symptoms documented by some users and endocrinologists. 

          Women can build muscle without AAS. Weightlifting and resistance training has shown that women's bodies do experience muscular hypertrophy. Endocrinology does play a role. Boys and girls are at an equal physical fitness level until puberty. At that stage the body composition and size is dramatically altered between the sexes. Men weigh more and are on average taller. Boys have two growth spurts with the earliest starting at between the ages 10 to 13. There will also be a final one in  late adolescence. Between these two growth spurts a strength spurt happens due to the growth of  the testes and a dramatic in androgens. This does not happen in women. However, women have the same muscles and it does not differ at the cellular level. The baseline of muscle mass is less in women. While women can experience muscular hypertrophy just not to the same extent as a man. Women have muscles,they are smaller in comparison. The most muscular woman would still weigh less than the largest man. How much size a person can gain depends on somatotype, genetics, training methods, and diet. Age and sex are factors in terms of muscular gain. The factors listed previously vary from person to person regardless of sex. To see muscular growth intensity of exercise and the amount of food consumed must be done to see changes. Such activities do not require AAS to achieve. Competing does not require drugs either. There are natural competitions that are open to athletes who still have muscular physiques. IFBB shows are not drug tested, but that does not mean every single person on stage is using AAS. The misconception is that women with muscle are on steroids is false. The only way to know for definitely is to test for substances. Unless the more obvious signs of virilization are present such accusations are baseless. Myology demonstrates that women's muscles and anatomy are similar to that of men. 

    The biggest difference is in upper body strength. Men have more muscle and power in that region of the body. Women come closer to men in the lower body. Saying men have muscles and women do not would be anatomically inaccurate. Also the size of the skeleton and bones are factors in strength. A person with larger bones can support more muscle on their frame. There is a basic method of use which involves the time in which drugs are used. Some athletes train to their maximum physical potential and then begin to use. Others start off with AAS. Many may prefer the first option to avoid deleterious effects.    Just taking steroids will not produce physiques of quality. 

       The stages of fitness do not exist. There are different levels of muscular development. Physical fitness simply defined is the ability to perform an exercise activity. This means all women can attain a level of fitness. If there is a discussion of fitness competition and bodybuilding there is a difference. All the women no matter what category are of a certain physical fitness capacity. The element of muscular strength and development there is a gap. Female bodybuilders compared to fitness competitors are bigger in muscular development. While the fitness category was created mostly for women who did not want to have higher levels of development, there is a men's physique category that came after. Female bodybuilders starting out will at some point resemble fitness competitors in terms of size. When body transformation happens over a number of years the body will look different from training and diet. This is not "soft development." Building muscle takes time or even decades. Athletic massiveness is just another term for bulky. Bulkiness is not a real entity rather a term used to describe the look of a physique. Based on cytology bulky and toned muscle do not exist. Placed under a microscope one would not be able to distinguish the difference. Advocates always assure women they will not "bulk up  " and they can "tone."   Women can get muscular,but the idea of athletic massiveness is relative. Some fitness competitors may be too big for certain people's taste. 

The added category of physique only complicates terms. Most women may train with a certain level of intensity to get a certain body. To say that the larger women do it only through drugs is a distortion. Fitness models, figure competitors,  and physique athletes could be using various substances which could include fat burners, estrogen blockers, or HGH. The size of the muscles is not an indicator of use or non-use.  Anabolic steroids at may become obsolete with more powerful and efficient drugs emerging in the future. Selective androgen receptor modulators  may replace steroids as an alternative. All the women who compete are fit, it is just the muscular development varies. The idea that women cannot get big without drugs is not correct. The large women that are on stage weigh less than the average man. Exercise physiology has produced these bodies,rather than supplements or drugs. It has never been examined fully,but performance enhancing drugs may not be as effective as one would assume.
          Women's hormonal physiology does have a limitation in terms of muscle mass gain. Estrogen and progesterone increase fat levels. The use of anabolic steroids provides a woman with more muscular growth potential than by simple lifting or exercise. Women gain the strength spurt that boys get during puberty,however the secondary sex characteristics may emerge as part of virilization. This depends on the dose and types of anabolic androgenic steroids used. Results depend on other factors. A mesomorphic body type would experience greater gains compared to an ectomorph. Endomorphs would struggle to keep weight off, but steroids with exercise may do this to a degree. Women through natural means can reach the strength level of at least an average man with no training. Yet,a woman on steroids may not be able to reach the strength level of  trained man. If the male subject uses steroids then it would not be possible. The reason is that men have more testosterone to work with in their bodies produced by the testes.

   

Ovaries do function on a feedback loop, yet the difference is in amount of the hormone produced. Testosterone is present in women's bodies at lower amounts. The pituitary gland controls sex hormone amount. From the pituitary gland follicle producing hormone and luteinzing hormone are given instructions. LH stimulates directs leydig cells to produce testosterone and sperm. LH increases in women trigger ovulation and the development of the corpus luteum. Women could not reach the same total muscle mass levels as a man of similar drug use or training mainly because of physiology. Anatomically women's bodies are structured differently. A wider pelvis means that running speed will be effected. Even if women were to gain enormous amounts of muscle in the legs, this would slow them down. The heart and lungs do not get bigger altering aerobic capacity. Steroid use would not make women's shoulder's broader to a male size. The size and physique difference is related to sexual dimorphism. This refers to the characteristics that males and female exhibit that are not primary sex attributes. Women are smaller than men. This is the product of millions of years of human evolution. The reason males during hominid evolution needed more strength and size  was for the competition for mates. Sex selection may have worked in favor of  males who had more access to resources and hunting skills. These attributes from the sexes were transferred through genes. Steroids are only altering the endocrine and muscular system. They are not changing the genetics of a person. Women achieving men's athletic results en mass would either have to come about through some form  of genetic engineering. The manipulation of the MSTN gene could effect myostatin , which acts as regulator for muscular growth. Myostatin is a protein that inhibits myogenesis. Athletes who have an easier time building muscle have low levels of this protein. Anabolic steroids would not push women to men's physical fitness capacity compared to the future of genetic engineering.
      Taking drugs is not going to produce physiques or performances that are seen in athletic competition. There is no substitute for training or diet. Recovery and rest also is a major part of the process. During those periods the body grows muscle from the microtrauma from the training regimen. Bodybuilders are not only training for size, rather symmetry,shape,and conditioning. A competitor can have large muscles, yet the goal is to produce a physique of aesthetics. There are objections and support for use. The objections are that anabolic steroids provide an unfair advantage to competition. This lacks cogency,because simply taking drugs will not ensure success. The other argument is that their is a level of danger. The health risks are multiple. All drugs are not safe this includes ones from your doctor,in sores, and substances approved of the FDA. Any drug depending on how it is used and harm health. There are several conclusions that can be made from what is known about anabolic steroids. They do not create champion athletes or superhumans. Performance enhancing drugs as they are now only alter organ systems, not genetic structure. Gene doping will certainly become available to athletes more so in the distant future.  CRISPR( clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats)   holds many possibilities about altering human athletic performance far beyond training. These concepts may seem like science fiction,but they are gradually becoming a reality. Anabolic steroids will not transform a woman into a man or increase their performance to male levels. Drugs do not negate  sexual dimorphism. Contrary to popular belief  anabolic androgenic steroids may not be as effective as people assume.
   

How Women's Fitness Differs From Men's Fitness

Women's Fitness

Women and men differ in terms of anatomy and physiology. This has impact on certain organ systems in the human body relative to athletic performance. Women can obvious increase fitness levels and train at high intensities. However, when both a man and woman use the same training regimen, normally men's physical fitness capacity is higher. Fitness Advisory.org gives a basic description of how sex differences impact training and athletic performance. It is more than just hormones and genetics. Sexual dimorphism a product of millions of years of  biological evolution explain the physical differences between men and women. True, an exercise regimen should be tailored to women's specific biological and physiological attributes. The question about how women should train is still debated, yet it is clear women can do weightlifting in a similar fashion and still see impressive results. Compared to initial physical fitness levels women can make significant strength gains. Potential is not always related to sex. While at elite competition their are few women who could compete with men in terms of strength and speed, the athletically trained female would have more physical fitness capacity than an average male.There are also a multitude of factors that determines how much muscular hypertrophy can be attained and how strong a person can get. The problem with the Fitness Advisory. Org article is that it confuses physical fitness with physical fitness capacity. These are two different concepts. Physical fitness describes the ability of the cardiovascular, respiratory, and muscular system to function under work or activity.Physical fitness capacity is a measurement of how fast, strong, or flexible a person is. This text from the website only gives some basic information. Before a woman or anybody embarks on an exercise regimen, they should have a plan and know what exactly are their fitness goals are. Women's fitness does not really differ from men's at all. It is just a difference in total physical fitness capacity and athletic performance.
         Endocrine function is an explanation for the difference in total muscle mass gain. The two major sex hormones produced in males and females includes estrogen and testosterone.Hormones are chemical messengers that give the body directions. Endocrine glands release hormones into the bloodstream. Hormones are produced by glands in the body.  Testosterone enables higher levels of protein synthesis and stimulates the production of red blood cells. The amount of free testosterone are critical for muscular hypertrophy. Simply put, it is not the total amount of testosterone that equates to more strength and muscle mass. The majority of it is bound to either non-specific proteins or sex hormone binding globulin. Estrogen creates more body fat in women. The thinnest woman compared to the thinnest man would still have a higher body fat percentage. Physical fitness capacity is equal between boys and girls up to a certain age. From infancy to about the age of 13 boys are not any stronger than girls. Sex hormones begin to produced in larger amounts when puberty starts. Secondary sex characteristics develop making sexual dimorphism more pronounced. Girls mature faster and for a while they may actually be physically bigger than boys. While slower to grow dramatic changes happen between two growth spurts.

There is a difference in training for aesthetics.  Bodybuilding is focused more on sculpting a physique rather than gaining as much strength as possible. 

There is little difference in physical fitness capacity in children of different sexes. Their bodies are still growing and developing. 

When  a man reaches his full growth he will have more muscle mass compared to the average woman. The difference in strength is more pronounced in the upper body compared to the lower body. 

A female weightlifter can easily be stronger than average men. 

During this period between growth spurts boys will have a strength spurt. Muscle and bone mass increases. The shoulders broaden. Men on average have more upper body strength compared to women. Ligaments and tendons also become more robust in males bodies. Girls do not get a strength spurt during puberty. Around age 15 women can stop growing having attained their full adult height. Males can still be growing until 18 years of age. Height can be influenced by genetics and nutrition. Children who do not get enough food will not grow as much as ones that reach their proper nutritional allotment. It is possible for some women to be physically bigger than some men. Men have more natural strength. As boys age their bone density increases along with their height. This also has implications on health later in life. Women if they do not get active in terms of  weight training exercise may be more vulnerable to osteoporosis. As people age they lose musculoskeletal mass in their bodies. The body also goes through sacropenia. Stress fractures or broken bones can become more of a health complication in old age. The only way to prevent chronic illness is not only to eat right, but to be physically active. Women who will live longer than men o average should take note of this to ensure high quality of life. The chart below shows a sample of boys and girls in the progression of their growth. The line that shows boys is solid, while the other for girls is segmented. From birth to age 12 there is no dramatic divergence. From ages 13 to 18 even the tallest girls are shorter than the tallest men. The physiological and biological changes have an impact on natural strength. The average 15 year teenage boy could weigh as much as 123 lbs compared to a teenage girl at 155 lbs according to the CDC. The size difference between men and women is based around human evolution. Over millions of years these differences in primary and secondary sex characteristics emerged from natural selection as well as mate choice from our hominid ancestors. The theory was that males needed to have more physical fitness for hunting, while women needed to focus on producing offspring. Another theory was that size difference was present as both a means of sex selection and competition for mates. There cannot be absolute certainty with such theories seeing as it is impossible to do direct observation of  hominid species that have been extinct for millions of years. What is known is the sexual dimorphism has decreased compared to other animals in the homo genus branch. Over the course of human evolution and history sizes have change among populations indicating that natural strength can be altered under certain conditions.

 Natural strength is the power the body has prior to a fitness regimen. Estrogen is required for women's bodies to generate enough fat for ovulation. Fat does not add to physical force rather acts a extra weight. Endocrine function also has an impact on weight loss. Women have a harder time losing weight. Seeing as body composition works in men's favor they can see faster loss when training or on a diet. Muscle burns more calories and building it can help with keeping weight off. Too often people have lost weight have found themselves regaining it.  Adjusting diet to exclude sugars and excessive fat can help along with a consistent exercise regimen.  Results of this vary depending on method rather than sex. Fitness Advisory stated " the same intensive workout will yield better results in men than in women." This is very much dependent on the somatotype of the man or woman in question. Ectomorphic people would have trouble building muscle compared to more mesomorphic individuals. Endomorphic body types struggle to lose weight. Training method can negate this to an extent. Lifting weights seems more effective than using a treadmill. Hormones are only a part of the complex aspects of fitness.
         Muscle contributes to strength. skeletal size, ligaments, and tendons also are part of the equation to ho much force the body can withstand under physical exertion.When examining the histology of male and female cells of muscle there is little difference. The process of muscular contraction and muscular hypertrophy is the same. Women have the ability to build muscle mass. The idea that muscles are toned does not have a basis in exercise physiology. Muscle on a female body is the same as muscle on a male body. The difference is in total amount. There are three types of muscles present in the human body. Voluntary muscle, which is another name for skeletal muscle responses by conscious control by nerves. This is the type of muscle attached to bones by tendons. When a weightlifter is moving a dumbbell the brain is controlling it getting chemical messages to the tissue. Cardiac muscles are part of the circulatory system. These muscles enable the heart to beat, which is critical in delivering blood to the tissue of the body. Involuntary muscles are also known as visceral. They appear in the stomach, intestines, the walls of both arteries and veins. There is some partial conscious control in some of these muscles, but it does not require a person to think intensely to induce movement. When it comes to pure brute strength the untrained man compared to an untrained woman has a huge advantage.

The women that are called bulky are not really that big at all. Most female bodybuilding competitors weigh less than 150 lbs. The biggest women can reach up to 170 lbs. That is not much compared to men in the sport who reach the 200 range in weight.

Women have the same structures such as sarcomeres and myofibrils 

Muscle quality is not the same as quantity. 

Men on average have at least an estimated 72.6 lbs of muscle compared to women's 46.2 lbs. This difference in muscle weight is only 26.4 lbs. The assumption would be that it would be much larger. When examining cross sectional area, the muscle quality and strength generation has the same potential. So to gain physical strength women would have to  use progressive overload. Training to a certain threshold will challenge the muscle inducing microtrauma. The muscle will respond to training by making the muscle stronger from the exercise stimuli. The unfortunate reality is that there is limited exercise physiology studies on women's athletic performance. There are also still myths and dated 19th century Victorian Age medical beliefs that dictate women's bodies are inferior. Certainly now, it realized that the female body is quite remarkable. The challenge is that the general public has a limited understanding of anatomy and health science.Women have often been presented as the weaker sex or incapable of physical prowess. It is true that on average men are estimated to be 30% stronger, while women can generate two thirds the strength. That calculates to 66.6% of male body strength. That is more then half, which indicates women may not be at such a disadvantage. Strength levels should be best described in a power scale. Just being male does not make one automatically stronger than all women. Women who strength train can either be equal to or surpass an average man.There clearly remains a difference in power scaling. The strongest woman would not be able to reach the level of  a man on the same athletic level. However, this is dependent on size. A much larger woman could generate enough force to physically subdue a smaller man. The female body is capable of great strength, but it means it will be harder to acquire.

The process may take longer for women to build muscle. Relative to weight loss, men have an easier time doing so due to hormones and body composition. While it may seem that men have all the physical advantages, compared to initial fitness level women can make an immense amount of progress. The text explains this by saying  "it does not mean women cannot have a toned body." The term toned does not have any scientific basis to it. Nor does the term bulky, which appears in various fitness literature. Women and men can both build muscle. The reason bulky and toned are used just demonstrates a gender bias in exercise and fitness. Women being "too muscular" or "too strong" show there is a level of sexism and body image conformity in the sports world. It should be remembered that even the most muscular women weigh less than the most muscular men. Iris Kyle ten time Ms. Olympia champion was 75 kg. Compared to Phil Heath  at 109 kg the Mr. Olympia champion from 2011 to 2017 that is minimal. The "bulky" female bodybuilders are really not that large compared to the weight of even an average man. When examining flexibility, women have a significant advantage. This does come with the risk of possible ACL tears. Women are prone to musculoskeletal injuries, but this can be avoided through strength training. Tendons are entirely strengthened to the same degree in women through training. The only solution to such problems is to have studies examine women's physical differences and produce a program that is suited to their needs. The muscular system can function the same way in women just like men. Recently, it was discovered that female weightlifters had either the same amount or more muscle fibers than their male counterparts ( female weightlifters crush stereotypes ). What this means is that much of the differences in strength may come down to body size. 

      Respiratory function should be mentioned in the discussion of fitness. The lungs and the transport of oxygen to body tissue is critical to athletic performance. Women run slower than men based on certain anatomical and physiological differences. The structure of the pelvis is wider in the female body, which reduces running speed. The Vo2max refers to the process in which oxygen is utilized during aerobic activity. Oxygen gets transported to the muscles during physical activity. Hemoglobin must carry oxygen through out the body to preserve the health and energies of the body tissue. 

It should be noted that there is a large collaboration between the muscular,skeletal,  nervous, and respiratory system in physical activity. Women have less hemoglobin levels, which means lower aerobic capacity. Smaller lings and hearts mean that women also have a harder time reaching male levels of running speed. Women may actually have an edge in terms of endurance and oxygen uptake ( women's oxygen uptake). This may explain why women would have an easier time with longer distances rather than sprints that require more muscular power. So, in that measure of physical fitness women may have an indicator higher than men. The reason red blood cells are bioconcave in shape is to enhance their ability to carry oxygen to much needed areas of the body. The basic physiology of the respiratory system is to supply oxygen to body cells and carry off carbon dioxide waste. The air that is inhaled through the trachea goes through the bronchi. The air will reach the lungs. The lungs contain what are known as bronchioles. The respiratory system also contains alveoli. Gases come through the alveolar walls. The intercostal rib muscles and the diaphragm have to draw in air and force it out in certain intervals. The lungs operate on two methods of respiration. The process of expiration involves the lung contracting. The diaphragm then must move up. The intercostal muscles relax and then air will be forced out the lungs. Inspiration requires the lungs to expand and the intercostal muscles contract. The diaphragm has to contract and flatten. The final result will be air coming into the lungs. The difference in the male and female respiratory system appears to be minimal. How it effects performance comes down to size of the organs and the structure of the body. 

        Reading exercise physiology text or sports statistics, one may reach several conclusions. Some are erroneous, because they do not take into account various factors. The first is that many assume that men are the better athletes. The problem with this is that there is more to being an athlete than just being at a peak physical fitness level. Skills are required to master a sport successfully. Weight classes are part of sports to ensure fairness and open competition no matter what a person's size. Women just happen to be smaller, but that does not make them low quality athletes. It is rare that a smaller man is called a poor athlete, rather people admire his skill. There is no reason that the same cannot be done for women. One myth that is persistent is that women are biologically and physically inferior. Sex differences do not constitute indications of inferiority. There is no scientific way to even prove such a concept, no matter how many still claim there is one. These positions are incorrect conclusions that are made by people with a sex and gender bias in the sports world. The more relevant and rational  position have more credibility. Can women benefit from exercise and fitness regimens? The data show that it can improve women's health in terms of bone mass and the maintenance of the musculoskeletal system. Women are at higher risk for osteoporosis and sacropenia due to the differences in body composition. If women live longer than men, it is important that they take preventative measures to avoid chronic illness. Female athletes still require more detailed studies to design training programs to improve their performance. Women in professional sports in large numbers has only been a recent phenomenon and exercise physiology has to catch up. Men's and women's fitness is not that different. The only difference is in total physical fitness capacity. Methods that work for men may not work for women. Beyond the sexes, a single exercise regimen or method may not work for each individual.  A precision based method of fitness could be developed to meets a person's needs. So far, this is only theoretical as more is being learned about the human body and sports performance. Women's full physical potential may not have been reached yet. 

Live Science- Women in Combat : Physical Differences May Mean An Uphill Battle (2015)

Physical Differences and Combat

There are physical and physiological differences among women, which would make the demands of combat difficult. However, that is not to say that women are incapable of combat positions. Live Science produced an article explaining the challenge of the physical demands of combat women would face in such war scenarios. Written in 2015, there has since been gradual progress in terms of women entering combat positions. There still is more work required to make combat integration work. Other aspects must be considered. The most important factor is not to make a less rigorous version to add more women to positions. So far, this has been avoided with the development of functional fitness based testing . Women must qualify and meet the same standards otherwise it will generate more hostility. Women must also rise to commanding positions in military branches to ensure equal treatment. If women are going to be part of combat, then they must also register for the draft. It is not true equality if men are burdened with defense in times of crisis or attack. The reality is that women have fought in wars for centuries, just not in an official capacity. Current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have seen women fight on frontlines, even when they were banned from doing so. The real change in 2013 is that women were allowed to compete with men for military  occupational specialty jobs. The measure has been added to the long list of wedge issues dividing the American political spectrum. Conservatives have made not secret of there hatred of women in uniform and liberals favor women in combat, yet do not understand the implications of sex differences. A total of 220,000 jobs were open to women and clearly over the next 20 years have a major social as well as cultural impact. Women entering combat will accelerate, doubtless of what detractors oppose. Certain considerations must be taken into account. Depending of the physical fitness level required for a position, women's numbers may not be equal in all areas in the military. If there is a draft, women will require a specialized fitness program. Sex differences cannot be ignored in terms of physical abilities. There are solutions, but all problems may not be so easily negated. 

       Men and women differ in terms of their physical fitness capacity. Two important elements are speed and strength. Men on average have more physical strength than the average woman. Men can carry about 12 kg more skeletal muscle mass on their body. The female body can have 40% less upper body strength and 33 % less lower body strength. Some of this is attributed to weight and height. A taller person will have more room to house muscle on their frame. A larger person with more muscular mass could generate more force. Bigger muscle do not mean more physical strength. The total number of type IIa and type IIb muscle fibers determines how much force muscles can generate. Cross sectional area also is a large determining factor to physical strength. Men's individual cross sections of the muscle fibers may actually be bigger compared to women's. The misconception is to think that women are just physically inferior. There are obviously women stronger than some men and men who are weaker than some women. Yet, it is automatically assumed that all women would just fail doing a task that requires physical prowess.  

The divergence in physical strength changes during puberty. Endocrine changes in sex hormones allow men's body composition to change to where it is more muscle than fat. Bones,muscles, and tendons become significantly stronger. This means the male body could take more physical strain under certain conditions. Weight training and strengthen the female body just like men. The difference is in degree. If men have more natural strength prior to training, they will just be higher on a scale of measurement. Women can see an increase in physical strength through consistent weight training. Depending on what MOS a woman is attempting to apply for, massive amounts of physical strength may not be necessary. The modern military has become more technologically advanced in which physical strength could be negated in a battlefield. A optimal level of health and fitness is necessary for a functional combat force. Prior to the age of tanks, aircraft, and guns physical strength would have been more important. The earliest weapons were clubs, spears, daggers, and swords. Depending on the weight of the weapons, these required a certain amoung of upper body strength to wield. The introduction of fire arms radically changed the nature of warfare. Although it would seem that women who fought in the past would be at a disadvantage, there were adjustments in weapons that helped women who did fight. The naginata was a weapon of choice for women in Japan. One version known as the ko-naginata was smaller and lighter in weight, making it easier for women to use.

The naginata 

English swords 

Matchlock  gun 

Daggers have fallen out of use in the modern world in terms of military combat. These were not mere knives for cutting they were designed to inflict damage on a victim. This was a weapon that did not require huge amounts of physical strength. Despite sex differences in physical fitness capacity women did engage in war throughout history. The Mino warriors of Dahomey fought French invasion in the 19th century. Onna bugeisha would enter battle along samurais. It has been suspected that the Scythians also had women who fought in battle in the ancient world. Warfare has always been a brutal and violent affair. It was worse in the past with limited chances of survival or proper medical treatment from injuries. This does not negate the fact humanity has more destructive power than ever before with nuclear weapons. Warfare has rapidly change over the past century with weapons becoming more lethal. Cyber warfare will be the next phase in future conflicts. The consequences of drones, robotics, and artificial technology make war even more frightening. Large muscles are not going to stop bullets, explosions, or full scale nuclear war. Technology, tactics, and the efforts of soldiers have won wars not their physical prowess. Arguments that women are too weak for the demands of combat are based on sex bias and irrational fears that they are less competent. History has shown it was done before. Some women during the American Civil War disguised themselves as men to fight for both the Union and Confederacy. During World War II  Russian women served as combat pilots and snipers. The soldiers of the past did not have access to as much food and medical care as the ones of the 21st century.

    The problem that still remains is that their are myths about women's physical capabilities. The only solution is to have women train prior to doing basic training. That way the body becomes accustomed to more rigorous physical demands. Women have the same muscles and anatomical structures in terms of the bones, tendons, fascicles, fibrils, and microfibrils. The satellite cells, myoblasts, myotubes, and muscle fibers. The physiological process of commitment, activation, proliferation, and differentiation in muscle tissue also operate the same in both sexes. The biggest factor in building strength and muscle is based on genetics relative to mysostatin function. Growth differentiation factor 8 as it also is known regulates myogenesis. The reason muscle does not continually grow is due to the MTSN gene which provides instructs to mysostatin. Both sexes can have low levels of this protein produced by myocytes. That means they have a greater potential for building muscle on their bodies. Women are not inferior in terms of strength, rather they are at different levels of the physical power scale. The weakest woman would have less strength than the weakest woman. The strongest woman could not reach the same levels as a man on a similar training regimen. A highly fit woman could be as strong as an average man with no training. The military must have a precise way assessing strength. Hand grip can be misleading. Looking at weightlifting records can give more of  realistic measure of physical strength capabilities than hand grip. The 2006 study from the European Journal of Applied Physiology   mentioned used just judo and hand ball players. The results  may have been different if weightlifters were used in the study. Actual hand size could have been a factor, considering men on average have larger hands. There are factors that could effect outcomes in studies. What can be extracted from this information is that women will need to train harder and longer than their male counterparts to reach a certain fitness level. The simple part of this would be increasing women's muscular strength through weight training and focus on building upper body muscles.
      Training may not be able to increase women's total running speed. There are anatomical and physiological reasons for this. The most obvious one is women's wider hips actually reduce running speed. Aerobic capacity is smaller in women due to differences in lung and heat size. Building strength and muscle would be more simple in comparison when attempting to increase running speed. Florence Griffith Joyner was the fastest woman in the world and since 1988 her record remains unbroken. Her record in the 100 meter dash time was 10.49. The requirement to qualify for the men's 100 meter dash is 10.16. Men run faster than women even at this level. However, this is record of an accomplished Olympic athlete and looking at Army Physical Fitness Tests she would be overqualified. Certainly an Olympic female athlete can outrun a man of average fitness level.

The lungs are responsible for getting the air we breathe to our bodies. That oxygen gained from the atmosphere is pivotal to the muscles. The muscles require oxygen to produce adensosine triphosphate. ATP a nucleotide enables muscular contraction. Aerobic power is sometimes referred to as the VO2 max. The average man has aerobic power that is 50% greater compared to a woman. The aerobic power is dependent on three factors. The heart's capacity to pump enough blood to help with oxygen transport is essential. The blood's range of oxygen carrying capacity also play a role. The lungs must also be responsible for oxygenating blood returning from active tissue. Hemoglobin levels are higher in the male body. The hemoglobin protein transports oxygen in the body. It acts in a sense like public transportation for oxygen. Training does not change the size of women's hearts or lungs. This means men can get more oxygen into their muscles faster. Running is critical when charging into battle or leaving for retreat. Further investigation would be needed to figure out how to circumvent particular anatomical differences that could effect combat performance.
     Sex differences do not mean women do not have physical advantages. The one advantage women would have over men is related to endurance. More body fat means that it could be used as energy during high levels of physical exertion. There seems to be a disadvantage in having more power in comparison with endurance. More muscle and free testosterone equates to more energy used. This means men would fatigue faster in relation to women under physical stress.  Current research in exercise physiology may show that women's physical fitness capacities are greater than previously thought. A study from the University of Waterloo made the claim that women had more efficient oxygen uptake calculated at 30% ( women's oxygen processing during exercise ). Although the male body seems to be able to handle more heavy duty strain, with proper training it seems women can adjust to certain physical tasks. The Society of Endocrinology  found that women could handle extreme physical activity  in certain environments ( women and extreme physical activity). Two weeks before the expedition to Antarctica women were given training for the physical rigor. It was a success, which indicates differences may not be a hindrance. Live Science provides the biological aspects to women in combat positions, then poses the question how it would translate into actual warfare. Some assessments can be challenged, others may be more practical.
           The idea of a mixed combat unit may be difficult to imagine. It will happen just like women entering other occupations such as law enforcement, business, politics, firefighting, construction, and the sciences. The numbers of women in a collective may remain low for some to based on biology and sociological factors. Women who are capable just may not be interested in such positions. The science, engineering, technology, and mathematics fields have more men in the workforce. Women are capable of being great scientists, but women are not getting involved by choice. Part of this is due to active discouragement by various communities that believe in strict gender roles. When sexism is not a factor, women's personal choices cause this imbalance. Men are more willing to take high risk jobs compared to women. Being part of a military is a high risk job that men mostly were forced into.

Women  still make up a small percent of the US Military, yet gradually the numbers will increase. 

  

Men and women have the same muscles. The degree of muscular hypertrophy induced by exercise stimuli differs.

   

Some branches of the military women will have more of a presence. The US Air Force and Navy over the next few decades could see an increase in female leadership

That has change mainly because women have been given more opportunities. The US Military has introduced functional fitness tests in various branches. The term used is "gender neutral" because there will only be one standard. Multiple branches have their own standards based on age and sex. Women's requirements were normally lower. Women were even given the option of substituting a different exercise. The flexed arm hang was used for women rather than doing pull-ups. The flexed arm hang does nothing for upper body strength. When it came time for women to do a three pull-up requirement, they struggled. That was no surprise, see as they were being trained the wrong way. Injury rates are not high based on the fact that women have lower bone density and muscle mass, rather it is due to poorly fitting armor. Women were given body armor designed for men's bodies. For the past five years the US Military has been gradually solving the problem by produced better fitting armor. Weight requirements were also negatively impacting women. Women who built muscle mass fell out of the BMI requirements for some branches, when they were not technically unfit ( marines allow women to bulk ). If women are going to be carrying up to 45 kg in loads, they require more musculoskeletal mass. The Marines made the right decisions in looking to change fitness requirements based on questionable measures. There are some areas in which women will have an easier time being integrated. The US Navy and Air Force could be more simple with some minor adjustments. Submarines would have to be adjusted to accommodate female sailors. The Marine Corps and the Navy SEALs will be a more arduous task. Special Forces have a high standard and even more challenging physical fitness examinations. Few women would be present in combat positions in the most vigorous in terms of physical fitness. Women will play larger roles in the US Army. One should not make predictions about the future considering how rapidly the world is changing. Weapons and technology can easily negate all the training a soldier receives. Nuclear weapons, tanks, howitzers, drones, combat planes, and hacking are going to harm soldiers no matter how well trained they are. War is unpredictable and even well trained armies can be defeated. Women being integrated into combat positions will not reduce effectiveness. This will only happen if commanders with sexist and traditional gender role attitudes seek to undermine or prevent women's success. If women meet the same standards, accept that registering for the selective service, and understand they will not get special treatment then integration can be done. The real battle may not even be the physical training, rather gaining the trust and acceptance of their male counterparts.