ABSTRACT
Recent evidence indicates that elite female athletes are catching up with elite male athletes. This new evidence supports the conviction among some people that the differences in athletic performances between the two genders are primarily due to outdated societal expectations and values. However, despite this new evidence, there are important physiological and biochemical differences that could contribute to different growths in skills and performance between males and females for a given sport. For example, the onset of puberty is about 2 years earlier in girls than in boys. Because of this, girls height and weight is different from that of boys. Males usually have larger mass and greater aerobic power than females. However, puberty can also contribute to the delay in the acquisition of skills since skills are dependent on a sense of coordination
coupled with the height and weight of the individual. Finally, female athletes may experience athletic amenorrhea (i.e., absence of their menstrual period). Athletic amenorrhea is associated with; low body fat, heavy exercise, poor nutrition, and genetic differences that influences the athlete's susceptibility to menstrual dysfunction.
