Strong-minded women: transcending traditional beliefs about attractiveness, strength and health

American Fitness, Nov-Dec, 1996 by Diana Lynn Smith

Health statistics today link physical fitness with psychological health. Despite this knowledge, nearly three-quarters of American adults do not participate in regular, sustained physical activity, according to the Surgeon General's Report on Physical Activity and Health. It is fair to assume a majority of females fall into this category.

In Western cultural traditions, female body awareness is more focused on ornamentation and procreation than robust physical fitness. This perspective has led to the neglect of two essential components of physical vitality--muscle mass and strength. Researchers at Tufts University identify lean body mass (muscle) and strength as two of the "biomarkers" critical for health and longevity.

For the average female, intentional development of this aspect of her body has begun to be discouraged before 10 years of age. Similarly, adolescent females are typically steered away from activities which facilitate the development of muscle mass. Research alludes to a transition which occurs between ages 8 and 12,. when females begin participating in more "feminine" and less strenuous physical pursuits. This effectively prevents or discourages the development and maintenance of muscle mass and strength. Thus, outmoded cultural standards continue to dictate what is "appropriate" physical activity for females.

Withholding opportunities for females to experience their bodies as strong, flexi-ble and toned may set the stage for much more than poor physical conditioning. Perhaps the development of particular vulnerabilities to osteoporosis, eating disorders, depression, or gender victimization can be associated with inadequate muscle mass and strength in females.

Osteoporosis

The best defense against developing osteoporosis is to build strong bones early in life, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation. Studies reveal 80% of those affected by osteoporosis are female. Osteoporosis is characterized by low bone mass and structural deterioration of bony tissue. A key bone-building marker is the density of spinal mineralization. Bone mineral content in the femurs, cervical and lumbar spine, and the radii of bones in female bodybuilders was found to be significantly greater than that of swimmers, collegiate runners, recreational runners and the inactive.

How does strength training affect bone density? Researchers agree strengthening bone entails stimulating the muscle that pulls on it, which in turn facilitates the maintenance of bone density and may lead to increased calcium production. Bone and muscle respond to the overload principle, each becoming stronger and thicker with progressive resistance exercises. Weightlessness studies have found that bones begin to deteriorate in the absence of gravity. Walking or running--both weightbearing exercises--stress muscles and strengthen bones to some extent. However, it is with progressive resistance exercises, or intentional strength training, that significant increases in bone density occur. Identification of an association between the degree of muscularity and the integrity of bone mass strongly advocates the inclusion of strength training in fitness programs for females, as well as males.

Eating Disorders

Eating disorders are another gender-specific vulnerability. Health researchers at Yale University report the extent of dieting and concern about weight control must now be considered a "normative discontent" for females. Thus, a preoccupation with thinness characterizes the responses of normal populations of young women, not just the eating disordered. Citing a nationwide student poll in 1991, the Centers for Disease Control noted 44% of high school girls surveyed indicated they are trying to lose weight. The poll also stated that among the girls surveyed, 80% had utilized exercise regimens, 21% had taken diet pills, and 14% had vomited in attempts to reduce their body weight.

Far less challenging to interpret are the prevalence rates for anorexia nervosa and bulimia, disorders which occur predominantly in females and which may lead to muscle mass and strength decrements. According to researchers, three variables associated with intentionally developed and maintained muscularity are increased bone density, increased basal metabolic rate and improved lean body mass to body fat ratios.

Studies of anorexic adolescent and adult females indicate bone density depletions, and if regular menstrual periods were disrupted before the age of 18, bone density-was reduced an additional 20%. Disordered eating patterns and intense exercise training have been associated with compromised bone mass. A phenomenon termed the female athlete triad refers to the presence of amenorrhea (absent menstrual periods), osteoporosis and an eating disorder.

A fundamental relationship exists between caloric intake and exercise. The basal metabolic rate represents the rate at which calories are burned at rest. Males proportionately have more muscle than women, and muscle cells burn calories faster than fat cells. The greater the amount of lean body mass, the higher the resting metabolism, according to Robert Girandola of the University of Southern California. Exercise programs designed for weight loss are more effective with the addition of a strength training program, as the metabolic rate is directly influenced by the amount and condition of the musculature.