Female participation in sports has increased steadily over the last 3 decades with increasing media recognition and corporate sponsorship. Injury patterns in both sexes are similar but there are some subtle differences. These differences are generally related to the increased average size of the male athlete.
Males also have increased muscle mass and decreased body fat compared to females. These differences are due to hormonal levels.
Estrogen levels are higher in females, it promotes increased body fat while androgen which increases muscle mass, is found in higher levels in males.
Females have a smaller heart size and fewer red blood cells than males. This contributes to the poorer performances in endurance sports by females. However, females do not lag significantly behind in strength-based sports once the differences in muscle mass are taken into account. Women can gain as much strength as men on a relative basis with no increased risk of injuries.