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Sex Differences in Diaphragm Voluntary Activation after Exercise.

Andrew H Ramsook, Michele R Schaeffer, Reid A Mitchell

  • 1Centre for Heart Lung Innovation, Providence Research, The University of British Columbia and St. Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia, CANADA.

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Summary

Female diaphragms show less fatigue after high-intensity exercise due to both neural and contractile mechanisms. This study found diaphragm voluntary activation (D-VA) decreased less in females post-exercise compared to males.

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Area of Science:

  • Exercise Physiology
  • Respiratory Muscle Physiology
  • Sex Differences in Exercise

Background:

  • Diaphragm fatigability, a decrease in contractile function, is less pronounced in females post-exercise.
  • Neural mechanisms, such as voluntary activation, also contribute to diaphragm fatigability.
  • It remains unclear if sex differences in diaphragm fatigability extend to neural activation changes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine if high-intensity cycling exercise reduces diaphragm voluntary activation (D-VA).
  • To investigate if the reduction in D-VA differs between sexes after exercise.

Main Methods:

  • Twenty-five participants (15 females) underwent high-intensity cycling.
  • Diaphragm voluntary activation (D-VA) and transdiaphragmatic twitch pressure (Pdi,TW) were measured pre- and post-exercise.
  • Cervical magnetic stimulation of phrenic nerves assessed diaphragm fatigability.

Main Results:

  • Both sexes exhibited decreased D-VA post-exercise.
  • Females showed a smaller decrease in D-VA (95.4% baseline) compared to males (87.4% baseline).
  • Transdiaphragmatic twitch pressure (Pdi,TW) also decreased post-exercise, with a larger reduction in males.

Conclusions:

  • Diaphragm voluntary activation decreases after whole-body exercise in both sexes.
  • Females experience a lesser reduction in D-VA, indicating greater resistance to neural fatigue.
  • The female diaphragm is more resistant to both neural and contractile fatigue mechanisms post-exercise.