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Performance Sex Differences in CrossFit®
1Department of Physical Education and Sports, Faculty of Education, University of Hradec Kralove, Hradec Králové 500 03, Czech Republic.
Sports (Basel, Switzerland)
|November 10, 2022
Summary
Men outperformed women in most 2021 CrossFit Games® events, even with scaled weights for women. This study highlights performance differences despite scaling, suggesting anatomical and physiological factors play a role.
Area of Science:
- Sports Science
- Exercise Physiology
- Performance Analysis
Background:
- CrossFit® utilizes workout scaling for women, particularly in weightlifting, to adjust for physiological differences.
- Statistical performance data comparing men and women is common in other sports but lacking in CrossFit®.
- The 2021 CrossFit Games® provides a unique dataset to analyze sex-based performance disparities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze and compare the performance differences between male and female athletes at the 2021 CrossFit Games®.
- To investigate the impact of scaling on performance outcomes for women in elite CrossFit® competitions.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of performance data from 40 male and 40 female athletes in the Rx division at the 2021 CrossFit Games®.
- Statistical comparison using effect size and percentage differences across 15 events.
- Examination of scaling implementation and its effect on observed performance gaps.
Main Results:
- Men achieved superior results in 14 out of 15 events.
- Women's performance lagged behind men by 0.1-33.1% across events, even with scaling.
- Observed differences suggest anatomical and physiological factors contribute to performance disparities.
Conclusions:
- Despite scaling, significant performance differences between men and women persist in elite CrossFit®.
- Anatomical and physiological factors are likely key drivers of these observed sex-based performance gaps.
- Further research is necessary due to the unique and non-repeating nature of CrossFit Games® events.
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