Sex Differences in Respiratory Physiology - Current Thoughts & Future Directions

Overview:

Historically, women have not been included in biomedical and sport science research.

It was assumed the results found in men would equally apply to women. Many recent studies have shown that this is not the case and there is great interest in narrowing the knowledge gap of sex-based differences in physiology and beyond.

The eventual goal for much of this new research will be to uncover new evidence-based principles for therapies and rehabilitation.

The goal of this online course is to provide a reintroduction to concepts of sex differences as they relate to respiratory physiology. This will highlight differences and similarities in the structure and function of the respiratory physiology and discuss future directions of the field.

Lastly, there will be some time to discuss the needs of physiotherapists and how research can better influence physiotherapy practice in the future.

Learning Objectives:

Upon completion of this workshop, participants will be able to:

1. Draw connections between the structure and function of the respiratory system as it relates to exercise.
2. Evaluate the importance of sex in considering the response to exercise.
3. Consider how this information can be applied to specific populations (i.e., healthy aging and chronic respiratory disease).

Presenter: Andrew Ramsook

Andrew Ramsook is a PhD Candidate in the School of Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of British Columbia. His current research is aimed at understanding how respiratory muscle fatigue affects men and women, with a special interest in understanding how this can affect the perception of breathlessness.