What makes females walk at comparable speeds to males? Physical, physiological, or biomechanical factors

Although males typically have longer limbs and greater muscle mass than females, previous studies have reported no significant sex differences in self-selected walking speed. This suggests that females may adopt alternative biomechanical strategies to compensate for their anatomical disadvantages. However, the specific mechanisms that enable females to achieve a walking speed comparable to males remain unclear.

One hundred and fifty-one young adults (76F,75M) performed a 3-min barefoot walking at their self-selected walking speed on a 10-m walkway. During walking, spatiotemporal gait parameters, vertical ground reaction forces, and foot and ankle joint kinematics were recorded. Anthropometric measurements and body composition were also obtained to assess physical capacity. Walking speed was compared between males and females, and contributing factors to walking speed were analyzed.

Self-selected walking speed was not significantly different between sexes. However, when normalized by leg length, females exhibited significantly longer stride lengths and faster walking speeds than males (p < 0.05). Females also demonstrated greater ankle joint range of motion and walked with significantly greater ankle plantarflexion at toe-off, which likely contributed to increased forefoot pushing force. Additionally, females exhibited longer normalized stride lengths and faster stride times, resulting in faster normalized walking speeds compared to males.

The findings suggest that females compensate for relatively shorter limb lengths and lower muscle mass by relying more on distal joint flexibility and passively generated push-off power, particularly at the ankle. Females may also adjust stride length and stride time to achieve walking speeds comparable to males despite anatomical differences. Interventions aimed at modifying push-off strategies may enhance walking efficiency and could inform the development of targeted, sex-specific gait training programs.