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Older studies and a majority of recent studies into nutrition and performance have focused on men; thankfully, newer studies are now taking a closer look at women regarding differences in nutrition and training. TRAINING DIFFERENCES
-A woman's 1 rep max is an entirely different event from a man's.
A woman's 5 rep max is closer to 95% of the 1 rep max, whereas a man's is around 85%, so the weight increments for a 1 rep max attempt by women will not jump up as much, and an attempt to jump up in weight as if the 5 rep max is that of a man will likely result in a failed lift.
Why?
Neuromuscular efficiency
Women have fewer motor units firing than men during heavy lifts, which in turn produces less force (fractions of a second). Neuromuscular efficiency is determined by the levels of testosterone in utero, not levels added to the system after (steroids), Eventually, this means that a set of 5 reps for women will be like a set of 10 reps for a man, which is not enough of a stimulus to drive further strength adaptations as it does not create enough stress to warrant changes over time so women will need to switch to 3 reps to call more units into action, allowing the weight on the bar to go up due to the right amount of stress for adaptation to carry on occurring.
-Women can lower their weight under control even after concentric failure.
A female can continue to control a weight eccentrically with concentric assistance even after a concentric failure, a long time after a male would have failed.
-Women recover faster for the same amount of work (differences can also be attributed to the levels of relative stress imposed during lifts), so they can train with more frequency than men and also rest for less time in between sets.
-Women should use the great technique, but men have to ensure the weight can be lifted.
Women can complete personal records even with less than optimal technique in movements, whereas men will need to increase and outright perfect it to carry on making progress.
DIETARY DIFFERENCES
Women show higher levels of the hunger hormone Ghrelin and have smaller drops when they eat compared to men, coupled with a lower level of leptin increase after eating, creating an environment where hunger is heightened.
Nutrient use differs during different times of the menstrual cycle, with the luteal phase carbohydrate usage declining.
-Women's taste buds are also different; women have a heightened taste for sweet and creamy foods and prefer carbohydrates and fats over protein, making dieting harder
-In a regular menstrual cycle, food is digested quickly in the luteal phase while hunger and appetite increase, further limiting fullness.
There are a plethora of differences, far too many for one post, but the simple fact is women should not be treated like little men.
More studies need to be done to unlock the true potential of females about training and nutrition