Sex-related differences in profiles of muscle oxygen saturation of different muscles in trained cyclists during graded cycling exercise

Abstract

This study investigated the profiles of muscle oxygen saturation (SmO 2 ) during incremental exercise in females and males. Females presented higher overall SmO 2 than males during moderate and heavy intensity domain exercise in all muscles including muscles that are not mainly involved in pedaling (triceps brachii), from those that are stabilizers (medial gastrocnemius, tibialis anterior, and biceps femoris), to those that are related to power output production (vastus lateralis).