Scientific Programme

Physiology & Nutrition

IS-PN02 - Power, Breath, and Beat: Exploring Female Muscular, Pulmonary, and Cardiovascular Physiology

Date: 02.07.2025, Time: 08:00 - 09:15, Session Room: Castello 2

Description

This symposium brings together cutting-edge research on the unique aspects of female respiratory, cardiovascular, and skeletal muscle physiology, highlighting how these systems are influenced by the female sex hormonal profile. 1. Power: Skeletal Muscle Physiology will examine how the female sex hormonal profile regulates muscle mass and function in females and thereby influences training outcomes. 2. Breath: This presentation will explore how dynamic exercise impacts pulmonary gas exchange and ventilation, with a focus on sex differences in oxygen extraction, acid-base balance, and respiratory muscle function, specifically addressing the limited research on young and older women, including recent findings on pulmonary responses and diaphragm fatigue in female athletes. 3. Beat: This presentation will examine the influence of estrogen and its decline at menopause on cardiovascular health in females, highlighting the slower cardiovascular adaptations to endurance training in postmenopausal women and the importance of exercise before, during, and after menopause to counteract the decline in cardiovascular function. This symposium is relevant for physiologists, coaches, sports science researchers, and clinicians who are interested in female physiology and how the female hormones influence performance, training, and health.