For years, there has been a widely-held belief that men are the dominant/stronger species, but considerable research is starting to shed extensive evidence that may suggest the opposite.
The importance and standing of women in the world have been increasing since the early 1900s and the world-famous Suffragette movement in the UK. Now, in 2020, we see women taking increasingly essential roles of authority in businesses and governments around the world.
The women’s rights lobby has never been more powerful, and the recent MeToo movement served to highlight further the unfair discrimination and harassment of females, particularly in the workplace. Women’s sports are now becoming mainstream, while some of the wealthiest and most popular film and movie stars are also female.
It seems women are finally taking their place globally, but one question remains: is the perception that men are stronger than women actually correct? In the majority of cases, most people assume men might be physically stronger, but does that mean stronger in every respect? There’s considerable compelling evidence to suggest otherwise.
Women live longer than men
In almost all cases, women vastly outlive men by some percentage. In a recent study by the Gerontology Research Group, women accounted for 42 of the 43 people who lived past the age of 110. If you look at most family bereavements, it tends to be grandmothers that outlive grandfathers too.
Also, research by academics in Denmark has proven women tend to weather extreme hardship better than men. Evidence of this can also be seen in the recent Coronavirus epidemic where women were considerably less susceptible to death through the virus than their male counterparts.
It’s believed women outlast men due to a complex interaction of biological, environmental and social factors. Whatever the reason, it’s widely accepted that women will typically live longer than men. Global statistics suggest the average female outlasts a similarly aged male by around three years.
Evidence suggests women are as physically powerful as men
In a recent study conducted at Edinburgh University in the UK, it was found similar muscle density in men and women produces the same levels of strength. Men have a greater muscle mass to body mass ratio due to having higher levels of testosterone; however, pound for pound, women’s muscles are believed to be just as powerful as men’s.
The same study also found that women’s legs might even be more powerful than men’s due to having a heavier lower body mass. So, in other words, greater strength isn’t just a natural given in a man’s favor. It seems the process may be considerably more complicated.
Regular training vastly improves muscle mass and strength in females, as does the correct diet combined with specific dietary supplements like Myprotein’s protein shakes for women. If the evidence is to be believed, taking regular exercise to build muscle can result in equal strength and power levels between the sexes.
Women are mentally stronger
Global studies also reveal women are better at dealing with stress. Certainly, it’s considerably more common for men to ‘explode’ in situations rather than maintain a more rational head like their female counterparts.
Investigations have found this propensity for calm is caused by better control in women’s bodies of the stress hormone, cortisol. In men, cortisol levels increase rapidly under times of pressure or stress, demonstrating that men tend to deal far worse with stressful situations.
Women are emotionally better equipped
It’s fair to say that most people realize women are the more emotional sex. However, studies also indicate women are better at identifying their feelings and are better at dealing with them than men. It’s believed this ability comes from greater sensitivity to environmental chemicals, perhaps developed as a result of the ability to reproduce.
Also, women typically deal better with emotional heartache or hurt. Despite feeling crushed by a break-up, in almost all cases, women bounce back far quicker than men. The suspicion is women possess a greater ability to talk openly and identify with their feelings, which in turn, helps with the healing process — again, two skills most men lack.
Women have higher intelligence ratings
A recent study conducted by the University of Edinburgh in the UK found women have denser cortices, the area of the brain most linked with overall intelligence. While it’s true men tend to have a higher brain volume, space doesn’t necessarily equate to intelligence when it comes to IQ tests.
And there’s more bad news for men: women have been found to maintain their cognitive capacity and memories far longer than men. Statistically, men are far more likely to develop amnesia or mental problems as they age.
Women have a greater tendency to reach out and ask for help
We all know the cliché that men never ask for directions, but this lack of ability to reach out for help is thought to be one of the greatest contributing factors to poorer health in men in later life. In general, women are far more likely to look for help when they need it, particularly when it comes to medical problems.
While men might ‘soldier on’ thinking they’re being macho, they may end up contributing to otherwise mostly treatable symptoms by not seeking help or advice. This same theory applies to emotional health too. Women are considerably more likely to look for help from friends than are men. Indeed, this problem has been highlighted by the continuing prevalence of suicide among men, which remains a massive problem around the world. Men’s inability or lack of willingness to communicate or express emotion often leads to a silent depression, and in the worst case, taking their own lives.
Women have a higher pain threshold
It seems the notion of the “Man Cold” might be real. Considerable evidence suggests that women have significantly higher pain thresholds than men. Most experts suggest this increased potential to deal with pain comes from the female menstrual cycles — again something men don’t experience.
It seems the age-old debate of which is the stronger sex is far from clear-cut; however, the evidence stacks vastly in women’s favor. In the same way, populations around the world are beginning to redress women’s positions and roles in life. Perhaps we also need to consider which is actually the stronger, more powerful sex.
