title: Gender differences in power production, energetic capacity   and efficiency of elite cross‑country skiers during whole‑body,   upper‑body, and arm poling.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To characterize gender differences in power output, energetic capacity and exercise efficiency during whole-body (WP), upper-body (UP), and arm poling (AP).
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten male and ten female elite cross-country skiers, matched for international performance level, completed three incremental submaximal tests and a 3-min self-paced performance test on a Concept2 SkiErg. Power output, cardiorespiratory and kinematic variables were monitored. Body composition was determined by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The men demonstrated 87, 97 and 103% higher power output, and 51, 65 and 71% higher VO2peak (L min(−1)) than the women during WP, UP and AP, respectively, while utilizing ~10% more of their running VO2max in all modes (all P < 0.001). The men had 35, 38 and 59% more lean mass in the whole body, upper body and arms (all P < 0.001). The men exhibited greater shoulder and elbow extension at the start of poling and greater trunk flexion at the end of poling (all P < 0.05). The relationship between VO2 and power output did not differ between the men and women.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Gender differences in power production and peak aerobic capacity increased sequentially from WP to UP to AP, coinciding with a greater portion of the muscle mass in the arms of the men. Although the men and women employed each poling technique differently, the estimated efficiency of double poling was independent of gender.
authors.forename: Ann Magdalen
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Hegge
authors.forename: Elias
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bucher
authors.forename: Gertjan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ettema
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Faude
authors.forename: Hans-Christer
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Holmberg
authors.forename: Øyvind
authors.initials: Ø
authors.lastname: Sandbakk
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001132:Arm / Q000502:physiology; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009068:Movement; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D012737:Sex Factors; D012865:Skiing / Q000502:physiology*