Effects of gender on physiological responses to strenuous circuit resistance exercise and recovery

Few studies have focused upon the physiological responses to circuit weight training (CWT) in men and women, and an investigation of possible gender differences could lead to optimal exercise prescriptions and improved adaptation outcomes. The purpose of the study was to determine the effects of gender on cardiovascular and metabolic responses to CWT and consequent recovery. Ten healthy men and 10 healthy women completed an initial session to collect descriptive data and determine a 12 repetition maximum (12RM) for 6 different upper- and lower-body resistance exercises. This was followed by 2 identical sessions of a CWT protocol on 2 separate days at least 48 hours apart. The first session was used to familiarize subjects with the equipment and the testing protocol. The second session was used to determine physiological responses. Each subject performed 10 repetitions of 6 exercises for 3 circuits at a 12RM load. Vo2 and respiratory exchange ratio (RER) were continuously monitored, whereas heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP) were taken at the end of each circuit. Across the exercise session, men revealed greater absolute and relative Vo2, relative lean body mass Vo2, systolic BP (SBP), RER, and recovery Vo2 when compared with the female subjects. There were no differences in HR, diastolic BP (DBP), or recovery RER. The present study provides a greater insight into gender differences in cardiovascular and metabolic responses to circuit weight training. These gender differences should be taken into consideration for development of CWT protocols for men and women.