Hormonal
Short-term (14-day) unilateral leg immobilization causes a significantly greater loss of specific muscle strength (strength normalized to cross-sectional area) in women compared to men, despite similar levels of muscle atrophy at the fiber and whole-muscle levels.
If you are a woman recovering from an injury that requires immobilization (like a cast or brace), expect to lose more functional strength than your male counterparts, even if your muscle size shrinks by the same amount. This suggests that rehabilitation for women might need to focus more heavily on neuromuscular re-education and strength restoration early on, rather than just waiting for muscle mass to return.
These findings indicate that immobilization-induced loss of knee extensor muscle strength is greater in women compared with men despite a similar extent of atrophy at the myofiber and whole muscle levels after 14 days of unilateral leg immobilization.
Why this rating
Randomized controlled trial with a robust sample size (n=27) and multiple outcome measures (MRI, DEXA, biopsy, dynamometry), though limited to a short duration (14 days).
Source
Sex-based differences in skeletal muscle function and morphology with short-term limb immobilization
N. Yasuda et al. · Journal of Applied Physiology · 2005
DOI 10.1152/japplphysiol.00247.2005
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