Gender Differences in Circulatory Response Measured by the Double Product Break-Point Method

The purposes of this study were to evaluate the gender difference in exercise tolerance. We analyzed the relationship between the double product (DP) at the double product break-point (DPBP) and the systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), mean blood pressure (MAP), pulse pressure (PP), heart rate (HR) at DPBP. The subjects were 18 healthy men and 15 healthy women. Exercise tests were performed on a cycle ergometer. The DP at DPBP increased more in women than in men (p<0.05). There were no significant differences in DBP, MAP, PP or HR at DPBP between the groups. At DPBP of men, DP was significantly correlated with SBP, MAP, PP and HR (p<0.05). In women, the only significant correlation was between HR and DP at DPBP (p<0.05). This suggests that the configuration factors of exercise tolerance differ between men and women, although men have a blood pressure dominant response at DPBP, women have a heart rate dominant response.