The differences in strength and endurance between the genders has always been a highly debated issue, but one new study suggests the athletic gap between men and women might be larger than previously thought.

The study, published in the current issue of the science journal Nature, shows that women may not be as suited to running distance races as men.

The researchers conducting the study compared world-record times in running and swimming for men and women, and they found women are slower in sprints as well as distance races.

This fact has long been known in sprint races, said Jeff Reinardy, director of strength and conditioning for Olympic sports at Iowa State.

“When you look at sprint races, obviously, men’s times were at a faster rate than women’s,” he said.

But Reinardy noted past studies have shown the gap between men’s and women’s times for races tends to narrow as races get longer.

Scott McLean, assistant professor of health and human performance, said he didn’t necessarily agree with Nature’s findings.

McLean, whose emphasis is in biomechanics, said some evidence has found that female racers have certain physiological advantages over men, especially in swimming.

“There are a lot of features in women’s physiques which make them more conducive to swimming,” he said. “Their buoyancy characteristics offer them an advantage over males. Many of the world records in swimming are held by women rather than men.”

But regarding the study’s assertion that women are slower than men, McLean said there are physical differences between men and women that may affect their speeds in swimming and running.

“There probably is a physical difference in strength favoring men,” he said.

McLean also noted there may be a sociological difference causing the discrepancy.

“For women, the evolution of training is not as advanced,” he explained. “In the past, women have not competed as much as men, and even looking at today, they are just beginning to really compete.”

Reinardy agreed, saying the difference in training for males and females is just beginning to change.

“Women have just recently gotten the same benefits in training as men,” he said. “In the past, people thought that women couldn’t compete like men because it might interfere with them biologically, but today we know there are no grounds for that belief.”

McLean said although the gap between men’s and women’s performances may be closing, women will probably never match men in distance races.

“In the end, it’s going to boil down to the strength aspect,” he said. “Women’s rates are catching up with men’s, but I think eventually those rates are going to flatten out.”