Carbs could be a healthier option for men and fats better for women if you’re trying to lose weight.

This is the main finding of a new study from experts in Mathematical Biology at the University of Waterloo, Canada.

The researchers employed a mathematical model of men’s and women’s metabolisms to achieve their results.

Metabolism refers to all the chemical processes going on continuously inside your body that allow life and normal functioning.

This includes burning fat and glucose for energy.

The Waterloo models showed that men’s metabolisms “respond better on average to a meal laden with high carbohydrates like oats and grains after fasting for several hours”, such after sleeping.

Women, on the other hand, “are better served by a meal with a higher percentage of fat, such as omelettes and avocados”.

The study is less concerned with weight loss than fascinating findings that women tend to rely more heavily on lipid (fatty acid)  metabolism instead of the carbohydrate metabolism preference shown by men.

The study authors say these differences in metabolism can result in differences in metabolic responses and in disease risk.

Hence, the value of gaining “a fuller understanding of them”.

Why the need for models

Anita T Layton is a professor of Applied Mathematics, and senior investigator of the study.

In a prepared statement, she said the study builds on an existing gap in research on sex differences in how men and women process fat.

Overall, metabolic differences between men and women have not been as fully studied due to research’s historically greater interest in men’s health.

“We often have less research data on women’s bodies than on men’s bodies,” she said.

“By building mathematical models based on the data we do have, we can test lots of hypotheses quickly and tweak experiments in ways that would be impractical with human subjects.”

Layton said that because women have more body fat on average than men, “you would think that they would burn less fat for energy, but they don’t”.

She said the modelling suggests “that women store more fat immediately after a meal but also burn more fat during a fast”.

Layton suggests that metabolic differences between the sexes likely have to do with the many more complex phases of a woman’s life, and demands upon her body such as pregnancy.

These sex differences, she told Medical News Today, “are likely driven by estrogen, as women bear higher nutrient costs during reproduction and lactation”.

She observed that the lifespan of a man is pretty simple: “They grow from a child to a young adult, and then to an older adult.”

Women, on the other hand, “may get pregnant and then go through lactation, both of which have tremendous nutritional requirements and impose major changes in the female body”.

Women may repeat these stages multiple times “before going through menopause and the rest of the ageing process”.

Where to next

Stéphanie Abo is an Applied Mathematics PhD candidate and the lead author of the study.

She said: “Lifestyle is a big factor in our overall health. We live busy lives, so it’s important to understand how seemingly inconsequential decisions, such as what to have for breakfast, can affect our health and energy levels.”

Whether attempting to lose weight, maintain weight, or just keep up your energy, “understanding your diet’s impact on your metabolism is important”.

The researchers hope to build more complex versions of their metabolism models and broaden the scope of the modelling beyond sex difference.

Future models would incorporate an individual’s weight, age, or stage in the menstrual cycle.