Influences of Sex on Muscle Architecture and Performance in Elite Field Hockey Players

The aim of this study was to compare muscle architecture and performance between male and female elite Field Hockey players and to investigate the relationships between echo intensity and performance. Twenty-one male (24.3 ± 3.6 y; 75.1 ± 8.5 kg; 176.8 ± 6.4 cm) and nineteen female players (27.4 ± 3.9 y; 61.2 ± 7.4 kg; 164.4 ± 4.9 cm) were tested for muscle thickness (MT) and echo intensity (EI) of trapezius (Trap) and vastus lateralis (VL) muscles. Participants were also assessed for bench press power, and 30 m sprint. Results showed a higher VLMT and TrapMT in male players compared to female players (+22.1%; p = 0.004 and +25.8%; p = 0.001 for VLMT and TrapMT, respectively). A lower VLEI was detected in male players compared to female players (−20.7%; p = 0.001), while no significant differences were detected for TrapEI. Male players were faster than female players in a 30 m sprint and more powerful at the bench press (p < 0.001). Significant correlations were detected between VLEI and 30 m sprint (r = 0.74) in female players only. Results indicate that differences exist between male and female elite Field Hockey players in the EI of lower body muscles, while these differences are not present in the upper body muscles. EI, together with other sprint and power assessments, may represent an important parameter for elite Field Hockey players.