Young women process oxygen about 30 percent faster and more efficiently than men when they begin exercising, according to a new study from Canada’s University of Waterloo. The ability to extract oxygen from the blood is an important fitness marker, which the researchers tested by having 18 young men and women exercise on treadmills. The women’s superior results indicate they are naturally less prone to muscle fatigue and poor performance. “The findings are contrary to the popular assumption that men’s bodies are more naturally athletic,” observes lead author Thomas Beltrame, Ph.D. Previous research had found that older men and male children tend to have faster oxygen uptake than women.

This article appears in the May 2018 issue of Natural Awakenings.