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Sex differences in strength at the shoulder: a systematic review
Tamar D Kritzer1, Cameron J Lang1, Michael W R Holmes1
1Department of Kinesiology, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, Canada.
Peerj
|March 25, 2024
Summary
Men exhibit greater shoulder strength than women, with significant sex-based differences in flexion and rotation. Understanding these strength disparities is crucial for designing safer, ergonomic workplaces to prevent injuries.
Area of Science:
- Biomechanics and Ergonomics
- Occupational Health and Safety
Background:
- Establishing universal workplace strength guidelines is challenging due to variations in study designs and outcome measures.
- Understanding sex-based differences in shoulder strength is critical for optimizing ergonomics and task design.
- Previous research highlights the need to minimize upper extremity risk for workers through informed strength requirement guidelines.
Approach:
- A systematic review was conducted, screening 3,294 articles from Embase, Medline, SCOPUS, and Web of Science.
- Included studies involved observational data, direct muscular joint measurements, and healthy adults aged 18-65.
- Strength outcomes were normalized to male outputs for cross-study comparison.
Key Points:
- Sixty-three studies were included, predominantly showing greater male strength.
- The male-female strength gap was most pronounced in shoulder flexion and internal/external rotation (females ~30% of male strength).
- Scaption strength ratios were most consistent, with females generating 55-62% of male strength.
Conclusions:
- Sex-based strength differences are vital for workplace task design, as equivalent strength requirements pose higher injury risks for women.
- Strength disparities vary across movements, with greater differences noted in horizontal flexion/extension and internal/external rotation.
- Limited research exists for some movements, indicating critical gaps for effective workstation design and overexertion risk mitigation.
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