Sex ratio in the offspring of professional soccer players: preliminary study

  • Diana Vaamonde Vaamonde Martín Department of Morphological Sciences. School of Medicine and Nursing. Córdoba University. International Network on Physical Exercise and Fertility (INPEF). Cordova. Spain.
  • Carlos Sánchez Jiménez School of Medicine and Nursing. University of Cordoba. Spain.
  • Carolina Algar-Santacruz Department of Morphological Sciences. School of Medicine and Nursing. Córdoba University. Beiman Clinic. Cordova. Spain.
  • Manuel Vaquero Department of Public Health. School of Medicine and Nursing. University of Cordoba. Epidemiological Research Group in Primary Care of the IMIBIC (Maimónides Institute of Biomedical Research). Cordova. Spain.
  • Enrique Arriaza Ardiles Center for Advanced Studies. Playa Ancha University. Valparaiso. Chile.
  • Juan Manuel García-Manso International Network on Physical Exercise and Fertility (INPEF). Cordova. Department of Physical Education. School of Physical Activity and Sports Sciences. University of Las Palmas de Gran Canarias. Las Palmas. Spain.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.33155/j.ramd.2018.07.003
Keywords: Ratio de sexo, Descendencia, Reproducción masculina, Entrenamiento, Fútbol Sex ratio, Offspring, Male reproduction, Training, Soccer Relação do sexo, Descendência, Reprodução masculina, Treinamento, Futebol

Abstract

Objective: To analyze whether the high load training of elite male athletes can influence the sex ratio of their offspring.

Method: Observational, descriptive cross-sectional study. Fifteen male soccer players participated from the study according to the following criteria at the time of the study: being engaged in sports practice and competition, no fertility issues and live offspring. The study variables were the sex of the offspring, the number of children and the order of birth, and volume and intensity loads. The statistical analysis consisted in relating the variables of volume and intensity load with frequency tables by means of the Chi square test, with margin of error p <0.05.

Results: The offspring was 28 children (13 boys, 15 girls). Volume and intensity analysis did not show significant differences in the boy/girl ratio (p = 0.935, p = 0.296 respectively). In contrast, within the population of girls, more births were observed as a consequence of high intensity training (p = 0.037).

Conclusions: This is the first article to date that assesses the influence of high-load physical exercise on the sex of the offspring of male athletes. Although the number of girls has not been significantly greater than that of boys, there is a greater number of girls born when the training is of high intensity.

Published
2019-07-09
Issue
Vol. 14 No. 1 (2021): March 2021
Section
Originals
Page/s
8-12
DOI
https://doi.org/10.33155/j.ramd.2018.07.003