Antarctic trek shows ‘fairer sex’ as tough as men
Women have long been viewed as the physically weaker sex. But a study suggests the notion that females aren’t as physically capable as men is outdated and that, with training, women are just as resilient as their male counterparts.
After testing a group of six British female soldiers who trekked across Antarctica, researchers found that they showed no more negative health effects than would be expected in men.
The all-women team underwent extreme physical preparation for their expedition, and once on the ice, spent 62 days battling high winds and low temperatures to trek 1700km while dragging sledges weighing 80kg.
The study is the first to suggest that women are not more susceptible to the negative effects of physical exertion and that, with appropriate training, they can be as resilient as men in undertaking arduous physical activity.
Research conducted by Dr Robert Gifford from the University of Glasgow and scientists from the University of Edinburgh and the Royal Centre for Defence, monitored several markers of the women’s health before and after the successful expedition.
These included indicators of stress, reproductive and metabolic hormone levels, body weight and bone strength.
The findings, presented at the Society for Endocrinology annual conference in Glasgow, indicated not only that markers of reproductive function and bone strength were preserved, but also that some markers showed evidence of delayed, exerciserelated benefit to their physical fitness two weeks after.
Gifford said: ‘‘Our findings contain some potentially myth-busting data on the impact of extreme physical activity on women. We have shown that with appropriate training and preparation, many previously reported negative health effects can be avoided.
Speaking at the defence medical innovation conference in Birmingham, Major Natalie Taylor said of the group’s efforts: ‘‘We did very well. Physiologically we coped very well, so our bones were as strong as we left.’’
– Telegraph Group