Are male sports more competitive than female sports? Why are female athletes paid so much less than men? Are men more skilled at their sport than women? These are just some questions that millions of people ask themselves.

Skill

Are men more skilled at their sport than women? The direct answer to this question is “NO,” although when comparing male and female sports it may seem this way. Women and men practice their skills the same amount of time but men do possess some natural advantages. Men have a larger heart, more lung capacity per body mass, more red blood cells, and more hemoglobin, all of which contribute to their cardiovascular reserve. They also have larger levels of circulating clotting factors, which promotes quicker wound healing. Additionally, men are typically six inches or 15 cm taller than women. In America, the typical adult male is 175.8 cm tall, compared to 162 cm for the average adult female. This height difference will also help them in many sports. Another natural advantage a man has is testosterone. Men often grow larger muscles with strength training than women do due to the impact of testosterone. Muscle recruitment and muscle hypertrophy lead to strength improvements, which women are just as capable of achieving but it will be harder to achieve and it will take longer. In conclusion, men are NOT more skilled at any individual sport than women, they simply have more natural biological advantages.

Competitiveness

Are male sports more competitive than female sports? Male sports do seem more competitive compared to female sports but this is NOT the case. Females still have the same amount of emotion and passion for their sport as men do and want to be just as competitive as anyone. They may seem to be less competitive but they are playing sports just as full-heartedly as men are. Due to the natural differences between them, women are thought to be less competitive as compared to men. For example, the average height of an NBA player is currently 6’6 ft with the average height of a player in the WNBA is 6 ft. This is a huge natural difference between the two which when playing sports, especially basketball, gives men an advantage compared to women. Due to the professional leagues being separated by sex, men seem to be playing at a higher level due to everyone on the court or field having this advantage while in women’s sports, everyone on the court or field will have this disadvantage. Again, from an outer perspective, this makes it seem that the men are “more skilled” or are “more competitive” but in reality, men just have a natural advantage.

Compensation

Why are females paid so much less than men in sports? Professional male athletes are paid much more than women. Although it’s true most men do get paid more it’s not because of sexism it is instead based on basic math. For example, the NBA brings in about 10 billion dollars a year. This money comes from sponsorships, TV broadcasting rights, and people who attend the games in person. About 50% of the money earned goes to the players in the NBA. On the other hand, the WNBA brings in about 60 million dollars per year, a substantially smaller amount than the NBA. WNBA players make up about 60% of the league’s yearly revenue. According to the math, WNBA players are actually making more income percentage-wise as compared to NBA players based on how much revenue they generate for the league. This example takes place in many other sports as the female version of the sport usually doesn’t get as many viewers or sponsorships as their male counterparts. In conclusion, females are paid less than males but they are paid at a higher percentage considering the amount of revenue that is generated by the league.