Men Can Gain More Muscle Mass Than Women But Lean Mass Is What Matters

Does gender affect muscle mass outcomes, provided training volume and regime are consistent? The answer is yes, but not without caveats.

An April 2024 meta-analysis in Research Gate suggests that men gain more muscle than women “as an absolute number,” as Dr. Layne Norton said. “Absolute” means that if a male athlete and female athlete put on the same percentage of muscle mass, the heavier male athlete will have put on more pounds of muscle.

However, when accounting for the percentage of their starting lean body mass, gender did not influence muscle gains; men and women gain approximately the same. (1)

When the meta-analysis included additional studies that involved over 1,200 male participants and over 1,500 female participants, all of whom followed the same training program, the results remained consistent. Male participants gained more muscle mass than women, though only in their upper bodies. When accounting for starting lean body mass, participants gained similar muscle mass regardless of gender.

For those thinking testosterone should favor male participants regarding muscle gains, you’re not wrong. Testosterone increases muscle mass by increasing protein synthesis, but it isn’t the only factor at play. (2) The underlying detail as to why men can gain more muscle mass than women in absolute terms revolves around their testosterone exposure during puberty, which naturally positions them to have more muscle mass.

But again, research suggests that this fades when calibrating for starting lean mass. Although upper body gains favor men, female athletes can put on more muscle mass in their lower bodies. Dr. Norton suggests this is a possible explanation for elite female powerlifters’ overwhelmingly strong squats compared to relatively weaker bench presses.

The takeaway is that if you train consistently in the gym, prioritizing progressive overload, with proper nutrition and recovery to support that training, you should be able to put on appreciable muscle mass regardless of gender.

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References

1. Refalo, Martin & Nuckols, Greg & Galpin, A & Gallagher, Iain & Hamilton, David & Fyfe, Jackson. (2024). Sex Differences in Absolute and Relative Changes in Muscle Size following Resistance Training in Healthy Adults: A Systematic Review with Bayesian Meta-Analysis. 10.51224/SRXIV.400.
2. Griggs, R. C., Kingston, W., Jozefowicz, R. F., Herr, B. E., Forbes, G., & Halliday, D. (1989). Effect of testosterone on muscle mass and muscle protein synthesis. Journal of applied physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985), 66(1), 498–503. https://doi.org/10.1152/jappl.1989.66.1.498

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