Estrogen

Authors
Affiliations

Doctor of Physical Therapy

B.S. in Kinesiology

Doctor of Physical Therapy

B.A. in Neuroscience

“The female sex hormone estrogen probably also accounts for some of the difference between female and male performance, although not nearly so much as testosterone. Estrogen increases the deposition of fat in the female, especially in the breasts, hips, and subcutaneous tissue. At least partly for this reason, the average young (age 16–19 years) nonathletic female has about 34% body fat composition, in contrast to the nonathletic young male (age 16–19 years), who has about 23% (Figure 85-1). The average percentages for body fat are higher in older men and women and have increased substantially over the past 20 to 30 years as the prevalence of obesity has risen in populations of most developed countries. In the United States, for example, the prevalence of obesity in now approximately 37% of the adult population. Increased body fat composition is a detriment to the highest levels of athletic performance in events in which performance depends on speed or on the ratio of total body muscle strength to body weight.”

Secretion

Gender Differences

Age Differences

Function

Resultant Gender Differences

Note

Estrogen can impact phenotypical differences between gender, but not as much as the resultant differences due to testosterone

Estrogen accounts for some of the gender differences between female and males.

Since estrogen increases the deposition of fat the average young (age 16–19 years) nonathletic female has about 34% body fat composition whereas a nonathletic young male (age 16–19 years), who has about 23%.

References

1.
Hall JE, Hall ME, Guyton AC. Guyton and Hall Textbook of Medical Physiology. 14th edition. Elsevier; 2021.

Citation

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