Differences between the sexes in the association between diet and lifestyle habits with complaints of discomfort during physical exercise: women report more symptoms more frequently
Abstract
This study investigated gender differences in the association of symptoms during physical exercise with nutrition and lifestyle habits in adults. A total of 170 adult exercisers of both genders participated in this study. Participants completed an online questionnaire on the Google Forms platform, in which personal data, exercise habits, dietary habits, and symptoms of gastrointestinal discomfort, neuromuscular discomfort, and mood-related complaints during or after exercise were assessed. For statistical analysis, participants were grouped by gender: 51.76% (n=88) were female and 48.23% (n=82) were male, and the chi-squared or t tests were used, considering p<0,05. The results showed that 44.12% of participants were female and reported symptoms of discomfort during training. Symptoms such as drowsiness, dizziness, nausea, and flatulence were significantly more related to the female gender (p<0.05). The results show these symptoms could be attributed to physiological differences between the sexes, dehydration, use of dietary supplements and medications, and higher lipid intake before female training (p<0.05). Premenstrual and menstrual periods also showed an influence on exercise practice and gastrointestinal symptoms in the female group. It was concluded that female exercise practitioners were more sensitive to discomfort during training influenced by diet and other lifestyle habits. Further studies are needed to investigate the causes of this discomfort and ways to minimize it, especially in female athletes.
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